THE    IRISH   WOLF-DOG-. 


"  The  greyhound  !  the  great  hound !  the  graceful  of  lirnb  ! 
Rough  fellow  !  tall  fellow !  swift  fellow,  and  slim  ! 
Let  them  sound  through  the  earth,  let  them  sail  o'er  the  sea, 
They  will  light  on  none  other  more  ancient  than  thee  !" 

OLD  MS. 


DOGS: 
THEIR  ORIGIN  AND  VARIETIES 


DIRECTIONS  AS  TO  THEIR 


GENERAL  MANAGEMENT, 


AND  SIMPLE  INSTRUCTIONS  AS  TO 


THEIR   TREATMENT   UNDER   DISEASE 


H.  D.  RICHARDSON, 

AUTHOR  OF  "  THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF  THE  IRISH  FOSSIL  DEER," 
"  DOMESTIC  FOWL,"  «TC    ETC 


WITH  NUMEROUS  ILLUSTRATIONS  ON  WOOD. 


NEW   YORK: 
ORANGE    JUDD    &    COMPACT, 

AGRICULTURAL  BOOK  PUBLISHERS, 
245  BROADWAY.  -* 


SF 


A.  W.  BAKER,  ESQ.,  JUNIOR, 

OP  BALLYTOBIN,   CO.  KILKENNY. 


MY  DEAR  SIR, 

Permit  me  to  inscribe  to  you  the  following  pages,  with 
the  hope  that  you  will  not  deem  them  altogether  unworthy 
of  your  acceptance.  I  know  that  you  are,  like  myself,  a 
warm  friend  and  admirer  of  the  noble  animal  whose  history 
and  habits  they  are  designed  to  illustrate ;  and  trust  that  you 
will  receive,  in  the  spirit  in  which  it  is  tendered,  this,  the 
only  tribute  in  my  power  to  offer,  in  return  for  the  very  kjs-d 
and  valuable  assistance  you  extended  to  me  in  the  prepara- 
tion of  the  work. 

Believe  me,  my  dear  Sir, 

Your  grateful  Friend, 

H.  D.  RICHARDSON 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

PAO« 
ORIGIN  or  THB  Doo • 11 

CHAPTER   II. 
EARLY  HISTORY  OF  THE  Doo 23 


CHAPTER   III. 

VARIETIES  OF  THE  Doo — WILD  Does. 


The  Dingo  of  Australia 28 

The  Kirarahe  of  New  Zealand .  30 

The  Dhole  of  India 30 

Jungle  Koola 3J 


Wild  Dog  of  China .  38 

Aguara  of  South  America. .   S> 

Deeh  of  Egypt 5i 

Wild  Dog  of  South  America 33 


CHAPTER   IV. 
CLASS  I.— GREYHOUNDS.— SUBDIVISION  A.— ROUGH  GREYHOUNDS. 


Irish  Wolf-Dog 36 

Highland  Deerhound 51 

Scottish  Greyhound 54 

Russian  Greyhound 55 


Persian  Greyhound,  two  sub-varie- 
ties      56 

Greek  Greyhound il 

Arabian  Greyhound 57 


V 

CHAPTER   V. 

GREYHOUNDS.— SUBDIVISION  B.— SMOOTH  GREYHOUNDS. 

Common  British  Greyhound 57    I    Turkish  Greyhound 61 

Italian  Greyhound 60   |    Tiger-hound  of  South  America 61 

CHAPTER   VI. 
SECOND  CLASS — GROUP  I. 


Great  Danish  Dog 62 

Spanish  Bloodhound 65 

African  Bloodhound 67 

French  Matin 68 

Feral  Dog  of  St.  Domingo 68 


Cattle  Dog  of  Cuba 69 

Pariah  of  India....'. 70 

Mexican  Taygote 70 

Florida  Wolf-Dog 70 


CHAPTER  VII. 

HOUNDS   PROPERLY    SO    CALLED. 


TheTalbot 71 

The  Bloodhound 72 

The  Staghound 74 

The  Oriental  Hound 75 

The  Foxhound 76 

The  Harrier. 


The  Otter-hound 78 

The  Spanish  Pointer 78 

The  Portuguese  Pointer 79 

The  French  Pointer 79 

The  Italian  Pointer 79 

The  English  Pointer 80 

TheBeaglo 77    i    The  Dalmatian 81 

The  Kerry  Beagle 77   |   The  Russian  Pointer 8J 


10 


CONTENTS. 


TERRIERS. 


PAGE 

The  Russian  Terrier 82 

The  Scottish,  two  varieties 83 

The  Isle  of  Syke  Terrier 83 

English  Terrier 84 

Maltese  Terrier 84 


PAG  5 

South  American  Terrier 84 

Mexican  Prairie  Dog 85 

Turnspit -•••     85 

Harlequin  Terrier 85 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


Newfoundland  Dog....' 87 

Labrador  Dog 89 


Italian  or  Pyrenean  Wolf-Dog 91 

Pomeranian  Dog 92 

Hare  Indian  Dog 92 

The  Mailed  Dog 93 

Esquimaux  Dog 93 

Siberian  Dog 93 

KanitschatkaDog 93 


NEWFOUNDLAND,  OR  WOLF-DOQ  GROUP. 

Iceland  Dog s)4 

Greenland  Dog 94 


Lapland  Dog 94 

Shepherd's  Dog  of  Scotland,  or  Colley  94 

Shepherd's  Dog  of  England 95 

Shepherd's  Dog  of  France 96 

Drover's  Dog 96 

Cur  Dog 9C 


CHAPTER   IX. 

THE  SPANIELS. 

Setter  or  Land-Spaniel,  three  varie-  I    Springer 

ties 97   |    Blenheim.--. 

Water  Spaniel 98       King  Charles. 

Cocker 100 


100 
100 
100 


WATER-DOGS. 


Great  Rough  Water-Dog  ...........   103 

Poodle  ............................   103 


Little  Barbet  ......................  104 

LionDog  ..........................   10f> 


CHAPTER   X. 


THIRD  GREAT  CLASS.— MASTIFFS. 

Dog  of  Thibet 105 

Dog  of  St.  Bernard,  or  Alpine  Mastiff  106 
Spanish  or  Cuba  Mastiff 109 


Bulldog 110 

Pug-dog Ill 

British  Mastiff. Ill 


CHAPTER  XI. 


MONGRELS. 

Lurcher 113 

Ban  Dog 113 

Dropper 113 

Bull-terrier 113 

Alicant  Dog 113 


Shock  Dog 114 

Artois  Dog ]  14 

Griffin  Dog 114 

Kangaroo  Dog 114 


CHAPTER   XII. 

GENERAL  MANAGEMENT  OF  THE  DOG,  INCLUDING  CROPPING,  AND  THE  REMO-  " 
VAL  OF  DEWCLAWS • 114 


CHAPTER  XIII. 
DISEASES  OF  THE  DOG. 

Rabies 121 

Dumb  Madness 122 

Canker  in  the  Ear 122 

Jaundice 123 

Worms 123 

Mange 125 


Distemper 126 

Diarrhoea ,  126 

Costiveness 127 

How  to  bleed 127 

Warts 127 


DOGS: 

THEIR  NATURAL  HISTORY,  ETC. 


CHAPTER  I. 

.INTRODUCTION ORIGIN  OF  THE  DOG. 

IT  is  in  far  remote  ages  of  "  The  Earth  and  Animated 
Nature"  that  we  have  to  seek  for  traces  of  the  origin  of  this 
noble  and  generous  animal,  which,  while  some  have  placed 
the  lion,  and  some  the  horse,  as  the  first  of  quadrupeds,  has 
enjoyed  the  especial  privilege  and  well-merited  honor  of 
being,  par  excellence,  the  FRIEND  OF  MAN.  This  has  adhered 
to  him  in  adversity,  since  the  fall,  and  through  all  vicissi- 
tudes. I  should  be  disposed  to  award  to  this  animal  the  next 
successive  place  to  man  in  the  scale  of,  at  all  events,  moral 
being.  True  that,  in  physical  formation,  the  various  tribes 
of  Simiae  and  Orans  would  appear  to  approximate  the  most 
closely  to  humanity  ;  but  in  intellectual  development  I  think 
they  will  be  generally  conceded  to  be  inferior  to  our  noble 
friend,  THE  DOG. 

So  nearly  akin  is  the  intelligence  of  the  dog  to  reason, 
that  we  are  sometimes  puzzled  to  account  for  the  actions 
which  result  from  it.  As  Pope  says,  when  apostrophizing 
the  elephant — 

"  'Twixt  that  and  reason,  what  a  nice  barrier  ! 
Forever  separate,  yet  forever  near." 

Essay  on  Man. 

But  Pope,  among  the  many  poets,  has  also  furnished  a  very 
remarkable  illustration,  from  its  beauty,  its  celebrity,  and, 
above  all,  the  wideness  of  its  scope,  of  these  high  pre- 
rogatives of  the  dog,  of  their  universality,  and  also  of  their 
repute — I  allude  to  that  far-famed  passage  in  the  "  Essay  on 
Man" — 


12  NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG. 

"  Lo  !  the  poor  Indian,  whose  untutor'd  mind 
Sees  God  in  storms,  and  hears  him  in  the  wind, 
****** 
And  thinks,  admitted  to  that  equal  sky, 
His  FAITHFUL  DOG  shall  bear  him  company." 

The  "  many  poets"  have  been  alluded  to :  yes,  from  the 
days  of  Homer,  who  hymned  the  fidelity  of  Argus,  the  old 
dog  of  Ulysses,  in  the  Odyssey,  to  our  own  times,  when 
Lord  Byron,  in  his  youth,  penned  the  epitaph  upon  his  faith- 
ful favorite  at  Newstead ;  and  the  late  Thomas  Campbell 
sang,  in  one  of  his  celebrated  ballads,  of  the  old  harper  by 
the  Shannon  and  his  dog — when  the  simple  tale  of  Colin  and 
his  "  poor  dog  Tray"  (the  old  shepherd  and  the  old  shep- 
herd's dog)  was  adorned  with  plaintive  verse. 

The  poets  of  various  ages  and  of  various  lands  would 
seem  to  have  delighted  in  commemorating  the  virtues  of  this 
favorite  animal,  perhaps,  in  part,  as  though  they  recognised 
with  poetic  force  of  perception  in  their  devotion  to  man, 
something  of  the  primal  love  with  which  man  once  looked  up 
to  his  heavenly  Father  and  almighty  Friend.  If  I  be  not 
mistaken,  this  impressive  comparison  forms  the  subject  of 
one  of  Lord  Bacon's  famous  "ESSAYS." 

Should  it  be  deemed  that  this  prefatory  "  character  and 
eulogium"  of  the  dog  partakes  too  much  of  "  favor  and  af- 
fection," is  not,  perhaps,  scientific  enough  for  a  treatise  of 
this  nature,  I  still  trust  that  so  much  may  be  conceded  to  a 
very  zealous  author  in  the  commencement  of  his  work,  and 
as  such  eulogistic  notices  are  not,  though  rarely,  indeed,  so 
richly  merited,  unusual  in  history,*  they  may,  perhaps,  be 
allowed  in  natural  history  also.  Though  here,  from  the 
nature  of  the  subject,  these  remarks  are  necessarily  placed 
first,  as  prefatory,  instead  of  being  introduced  in  the  body  of 
the  work,  yet  may  I  not  be  excused,  as  the  moral  amiable 
qualities  of  the  dog  are  so  remarkable  and  notorious,  that 
they  form,  in  themselves  a  kind  of  description  of  the  species, 
a  sort  of  special  grade' of  chivalry,  giving  dogs  a  rank  of 
honor  among  animals  from  the  chivalrous  character  of  their 
many  virtues — virtues  so  numerous  and  so  generally  known 
and  experienced,  that  were  they  to  receive  a  full  degree 
of  tribute,  these  remarks  would  extend  to  the  entire  limits 
of  my  volume  ?  I  therefore  humbly  crave  indulgence  for 


*  See  Rolliii,  for  instance,  and  many  others. 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF   THE    DOG.  18 

mus  lingering  a  little  upon  this  pleasing  portion  of  my 
theme.  ^ 

It  would  appear  that  for  some,  time,  I  know  not  why,  (un. 
less  it  be  explained  on  the  same  principle  that  caused  the 
ostracizing  of  Aristides,  for  being  called  "  The  Just,")  there 
has  been  a  strange  infatuation  among  natural  historians  foi 
withholding  from  the  dog  his  claims  to  originality  of  creation, 
— for,  in  short,  an  "attainder  of  his  lineage;"  nearly  all 
who  of  late  have  written  upon  this  subject,  having  zealously 
endeavored  to  trace  his  descent  to  the  treacherous,  cowardly, 
and  rapacious  wolf,  that  skulking,  scavenger-like  marauder, 
the  jackal,  or  the  crafty  and  plotting  fox  ;  some  even  referring 
for  his  primitive  type  to  the  surly  hyaena,  with  that  animal's 
unsocial  and  indomitable  congeners. 

Some  writers,  on  the  other  hand,  go  so  far  as  to  admit, 
that  a  true  and  genuine  dog  was,  indeed,  originally  created 
among  the  other  tribes  of  animals  ;  but  they,  at  the  same 
time,  maintain  him  to  have  been  formed  with  a  wild,  un- 
social, and  savage  disposition  ;  and  to  owe  his  present  posi- 
tion as  the  faithful  and  valued  friend  of  man,  to  the  reclaim- 
ing power  of  "  human  reason,"  and  to  a  train  of  adventitious 
circumstances  long  subsequent  to  the  creation  of  the  animal 
world,  and  consequently  to  the  era  of  his  primitive  existence. 
These  are  the  persons  who  love  to  descant  upon,  as  they  are 
pleased  to  call  it,  the  "  glorious,  never-to-be-forgotten  con- 
quest of  reason  over  instinct." 

Cuvier  has  said,  speaking  of  the  dog  and  his  supposed  sub- 
jugation, "  C'est  la  conquete  la  plus  complete,  la  plus  singu- 
liere,  et  la  plus  utile  que  1'homme  a  faite;"  and  his  translator, 
or  rather  commentator,  Mr.  Griffith,*  has  re-echoed,  apparently 
without  attempt  at  inquiry,  "  This  is  the  most  complete,  sin- 
gular, and  useful  conquest  man  has  made."f  Alas!  to  this 
absurd  system  of  blindly  following  in  the  wake  of  the  great, 
we  owe  much  of  the  ignorance  which  at  present  envelopes 
the  study  of  zoology.  Let  but  a  man,  by  rendering  in  some 
one  or  more  instances  service  to  science,  obtain  a  certain 
position  in  the  world  of  letters — a  certain  name — and,  be- 
hold !  we  have  succeeding  writers  crouching  to  his  dicta  as 
though  they  were  oracular,  and,  without  taking  the  trouble 
of  investigating  their  correctness,  adopting  his  opinions,  nay, 


*  Griffith's  Cuvier. 

t  Buffon  has  made  a  remark  almost  identical,  even  in  expression,  in  h« 
Introduction  to  the  Natural  History  of  the  HORSE." 

2 


14  NATURAL    HISTORY   OF    THE    DOG. 

his  very  errors,  with  a  blind  and  superstitious  reverence. 
Cuvier  was  undoubtedly  a  great,  a  very  great  naturalist ; 
his  writings  are  to  be  read  with  reverence  and  respect,  and 
if  we  feel  disposed  to  differ  from  his  theories,  the  feeling 
should  only  be  given  way  to  after  the  most  careful  examina- 
tion and  research.  If  facts  present  an  equal  balance,  let  us 
by  all  means  abandon  our  own  skepticism,  and  yield  to  the 
authority  of  his  master  genius ;  but  if  facts  decidedly  pre- 
ponderate in  favor  of  our  doubt,  even  his  great  name  must 
not  deter  us  from  taking  an  independent  course,  and  adopting 
our  own  views.  Cuvier  has  shown  himself  a  partaker  of 
human  fallibility — 

"  Indignor  si  quando  bonus  dormitat  Homerus." 

In  the  case  of  the  fossil  deer  of  Ireland,  for  instance,  he 
for  a  long  time  almost  deprived  us  of  our  claim  to  the  ex- 
clusive possession  of  that  stupendous  relic  of  olden  time,  by 
describing  remains  of  what  he  conceived  to  be  the  same 
animal  as  having  been  exhumed  in  France.  These  remains 
have  since  been  recognised  as  belonging  to  quite  a  different 
tribe  of  animals ;  and  in  this  instance  also  I  cannot  but  ob- 
serve, that  the  very  obvious  difference  subsisting  between  the 
osseous  remains  of  the  animals  in  question,  is  sufficient  to  in- 
duce caution  towards  an  author  who  could  thus  strangely 
confound  them  with  each  other.  It  was  left  to  Colonel 
Hamilton  Smith  to  expose  Cuvier's  mistake — he  alone  hav- 
ing the  spirit  to  examine  this  subject  when  so  great  a  man 
had  once  treated  of  it,  and  to  remark  upon  the  errors  which 
he  found. 

/  To  resume,  however  :  so  then  man  boasts  of  a  mysterious 
control  over  natural  instinct,  and  that  he  is  able  to  subdue, 
reclaim,  and  conquer  for  himself  what  animals  he  wishes  ; 
and  that  he  further  possesses  a  power  of  rendering  those  ani- 
mals, naturally  fierce  and  estranged  from  his  society,  his 
faithful,  willing,  and  unchangeable  servants  !  Truly  it  is  a 
pity  that  if  such  a  power  ever  existed,  it  should  be  now  so 
utterly  lost.  I,  for  one,  would  be  glad,  indeed,  were  it  still 
capable  of  being  exercised.  I  have  spent  years  in  striving 
to  reclaim  the  wild  creatures  of  the  forest ;  I  have  expended 
upon  them  my  attention  and  my  care ;  I  have  given  them 
much  of  my  time,  my  affection,  and  my  means  ;  and  yet  I 
have,  after  all,  but  succeeded  in  the  partial  familiarization  of 
a  few  individuals,  whose  offspring  have  invariably  returned 
to  the  intractable,  ferocious,  and  feral  habits  of  their  race. 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG.  15 

And  have  other  experimentalists  fared  better?  How  else 
does  it  happen  that  the  grim  wolf  still  prowls  amidst  the 
gloomy  glades  of  his  native  forests,  that  crafty  Reynard  still 
preserves  his  wild  and  marauding  instincts,  and  that  the 
stealthy  jackal  is  still  but  the  prowling  scavenger  of  the 
eastern  hamlet  1  Why  does  not  the  beautiful  zebra  habitu- 
ally grace  the  equipages  of  our  cities  ? — why  does  not  the 
graceful  gazelle  become  the  happy  and  contented  ornament 
of  our  parks  ?  Why  does  the  furious  bison  still  roam,  in  un- 
shackled grandeur,  the  wilds  of  his  native  plains,  while  his 
kinsmen,  the  patient  ox,  drew  the  baggage  of  the  primeval 
patriarchs,  and  the  Brahminee  bull  walks  in  majestic  tran- 
quillity among  the  topes  and  lawns  of  Hindostan,  and  the 
placid  Indian  cow  furnishes  her  nutritious  milk  to  thousands 
of  Gentoos  ?  I  need,  I  think,  hardly  observe — as  all  who 
read  must  be  already  aware  of  the  fact — that  far  more  pains 
have  been  bestowed  upon  endeavoring  to  reclaim  these 
naturally  feral  creatures,  than  we  have  the  slightest  proof 
were  ever  bestowed  upon  the  imaginary  reclamation  of  those 
which  are  asserted  to  be  their  descendants.  "If,"  says  an 
eloquent  writer  in  Lardner's  Cyclopaedia — "  if  this  power 
really  had  been  given  to  us  in  the  sense  the  assertion  evi- 
dently implies,  the  instinct  of  animals  would  be  under  the 
control  of  man,  instead  of  being  immutably  fixed  by  the 
ALMIGHTY — that  power  to  whom  man  himself  is  indebted  for 
his  faculty  of  reason :  not,  indeed,  that  it  might  be  made,  a.& 
in  this  instance,  an  idle  and  arrogant  boast,  but  that  it  should 
be  used  to  give  honor  and  reverence  to  his  Maker.  The 
more  the  wondrous  works  of  the  Creator  are  studied,  the 
more  will  this  truth  become  incontestable — that  it  is  He 
only  who  has  given  to  certain  animals,  or  to  certain  tribes, 
an  innate  propensity  to  live,  by  free  choice,  near  the  haunts 
of  man,  or  to  submit  themselves  cheerfully  and  willingly  to 
his  domestication." 

Why  should  we  seek  to  set  limits  to  the  power  of  HIM  who 
framed  the  universe  ?  Why  should  we  seek  to  affix  bounds 
to  the  power  of  that  BEING  whose  power  is  infinite  ?  What 
positive,  tangible,  or  even  analogical  evidence  exists  that  the 
dog  was  not  originally  formed  at  the  creation  ;  or  that  if  form- 
ed then,  it  was  under  a  feral  type,  from  which  it  was  left,  by 
the  Supreme,  to  the  inventive  powers  of  man  to  reclaim  him  ? 
Is  it  riot  far  more  reasonable  to  suppose,  that  a  benevolent 
Deity  should  have  formed  the  dog  for  the  express  purpose  of 
becoming  the  ever  faithful,  constant  friend  and  companion  of 


16  NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG. 

man,  and  one  who  would  remain  his  friend  after  the  unhappy 
FALL  should  have  deprived  him  of  the  services  or  society  of 
other  animals  ?  This,  however,  is  too  much  like  mere  decla. 
mation ;  let  us  proceed  to  something  more  like  proof  of  my 
positions. 

In  discussing  subjects  such  as  the  origin  of  the  dog,  it  will 
be  evident  that  direct  proof  is  unattainable  ;  I  must,  therefore, 
be  satisfied  if  I  confute  the  arguments  on  which  my  opponents 
base  their  theories ;  and  then  it  will  be  more  easy  to  deduce, 
first,  the  greater  probability,  and  secondly,  the  greater  plausi 
bility,  of  my  own  views. 

With  the  supposed  Lupine  or  Vulpine  origin  of  this  animal 
may  be  classed  the  theory  which  derives  him  from  a  feral  or 
wild,  yet  apparently  genuine  dog. '  Mr.  Hodgson,*  for  in- 
stance,  thinks  that  he  has  discovered  a  wild  dog — the  buansu 
— to  have  been  the  primitive  type  of  the  whole  canine  race. 
Professor  Kreischner  describes  a  sort  of  jackal,  preserved  in 
the  Frankfort  museum,  and  puts  it  forward  as  the  type  of  the 
dogs  of  ancient  Egypt ;  with  many  other  theorists  and  savants, 
to  all  of  whom  the  reasoning  which  I  hope  to  adduce  will,  I 
think,  apply,  as  well  as  to  those  who  uphold  the  theory  of  the 
Lupine  or  Vulpine  origin. 

Perhaps  the  most  concise  view  of  the  side  of  the  question 
from  which  I  dissent,  is  given  by  Mr.  Bell  in  his  "  British 
Quadrupeds."  He  says  : — "  It  is  necessary  to  ascertain  to 
what  type  the  animal  approaches  most  nearly,  after  having, 
for  many  generations,  existed  in  a  wild  state,  removed  from 
the  influence  of  domestication  and  association  with  mankind. 
Now,  we  find  there  are  several  instances  of  the  existence  of 
dogs  in  such  a  state  of  wildness  as  to  have  lost  even  that 
common  character  of  domestication,  variety  of  color  and 
marking.  Of  these,  two  very  remarkable  ones  are  the  dhole 
of  India,  and  the  dingo  of  Australia.  There  is,  besides,  a 
half-reclaimed  race  among  the  Indians  of  North  America,  and 
another  partially  tamed  in  South  America,  which  deserve  pe- 
culiar attention  •  and  it  is  found  that  these  races  in  different 
degrees,  and  in  a  greater  degree  as  they  are  more  wild,  ex- 
hibit the  lank  and  gaunt  form,  the  lengthened  limbs,  the  long 
and  slender  muzzle,  and  the  great  comparative  strength, 
which  characterize  the  wolf;  and  that  the  tail  of  the  Austra- 
lian dog,  which  may  be  considered  as  the  most  remote  from  a 
state  of  domestication,  assumes  the  slightly  bushy  form  of 


*  Letters  from  Africa 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG.  17 

that  animal.  We  have  here,  then,  a  considerable  approxima- 
tion to  a  well-known  wild  animal  of  the  same  genus,  in  races 
which,  though  doubtless  descended  from  domesticated  an- 
cestors, have  gradually  assumed  the  wild  condition  ;  and  it  is 
worthy  of  especial  remark,  that  the  anatomy  of  the  wolf,  and 
its  osteology  in  particular,  does  not  differ  from  that  of  dogs  in 
general,  more  than  the  different  kinds  of  dogs  do  from  each 
other.  The  cranium  is  absolutely  similar,  and  so  are  all,  or 
nearly  all,  the  other  essential  parts ;  and  to  strengthen  still 
further  the  probability  of  their  identity,  the  dog  and  wolf  will 
readily  breed  together,  and  their  progeny  is  fertile.  The 
obliquity  of  the  position  of  the  eyes  in  the  wolf  is  one  of  the 
characters  in  which  it  differs  from  the  dog ;  and  although  it  . 
is  very  desirable  not  to  rest  too  much  upon  the  effects  of  habit 
or  structure,  it  is  not,  perhaps,  straining  the  point,  to  attribute 
the  forward  direction  of  the  eyes  in  the  dog  to  the  constant 
habit,  for  many  succeeding  generations,  of  looking  forward  to 
its  master,  and  obeying  his  voice."  In  my  opinion  this  mode 
of  accounting  for  the  direction  of  the  eye  is,  to  say  the  least, 
rather  imaginative  than  philosophical.*  But  to  continue. 

"  Another  criterion,"  says  Mr.  Bell,  "  and  a  sound  one,  is 
the  identity  of  gestation.  Sixty-three  days  form  the  period 
during  which  the  bitch  goes  with  young ;  precisely  the  same 
elapses  before  the  wolf  gives  birth  to  her  offspring.  Upon 
Buffon's  instance  of  seventy-three  days — or  rather  the  possibil- 
ity of  such  a  duration  in  the  gestation  of  a  particular  she- wolf 
— we  do  not  lay  much  stress,  when  opposed  to  the  strong  evi- 
dence of  the  usual  period  being  sixty-three  days.  The  young 
of  both  wolf  and  dog  are  born  blind ;  and  at  the  same,  or  about 
the  same  time,  viz.,  about  the  expiration  of  the  tenth  or  twelfth 
day,  they  begin  to  see.  Hunter's  important  experiments 
proved,  without  doubt,  that  the  wolf  and  the  jackal  would 
breed  with  the  dog  ;  but  he  had  not  sufficient  data  for  coming 
to  the  conclusion  that  all  three  were  identical  as  species.  In 
the  course  of  these  experiments,  he  ascertained  that  the  jackal 
went  fifty-nine  days  with  young,  while  tne  wolf  went  six- 
ty-three ;  nor  does  he  record  that  the  progeny  and  the  dog 
would  breed  together ;  and  he  knew  too  well  the  value  of  the 
argument  to  be  drawn  from  a  fertile  progeny,  not  to  have 
dwelt  upon  the  fact  if  he  had  proved  it — not  to  have  mention- 
ed it  at  least,  even  if  he  had  heard  of  it." 

*  It  is  too  like  an  adaptation  of  Lord  Monboddo's  Theory,  viz. — thai 
mankind  had  originally  toils,  and  wore  them  away  by  conttant  fitting. 

2* 


18  NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOCK 

Mr.  Bell  concludes  his  observations  as  follows : — :"  Upon 
the  whole,  the  argument  in  favor  of  the  view  which  I  have 
taken,  that  the  wolf  is  probably  the  original  of  all  the  canine 
races,  may  be  thus  stated.  The  structure  of  the  animal  is 
identical,  or  so  nearly  as  to  afford  the  strongest  a  priori  evi- 
dence in  its  favor.  The  dog  must  have  been  derived  from  an 
animal  susceptible  of  the  highest  degree  of  domestication,  and 
capable  of  great  affection  for  mankind,  which  has  been  abun- 
dantly proved  of  the  wolf.  Dogs  having  returned  to  a  wild 
state,  and  continued  in  that  condition  through  many  genera- 
tions, exhibit  characters  which  approximate  more  and  more 
to  those  of  the  wolf,  in  proportion  as  tne  influence  of  civiliza- 
tion ceases  to  act.  The  two  animals  will  breed  together,  and 
produce  fertile  young.  The  period  of  gestation  is  the  same." 

To  this  brief  and  intelligible  summary  of  the  points  on 
which  Mr.  Bell  bases  his  opinion,  I  reply  in  few  words : — 

I. — The  expression  nearly  identical  is  too  vague  for  phi- 
losophical discussion,  and  I  consider  that  I  need  not  therefore 
reply  to  this  first  position  at  all.  To  avoid  misconstruction, 
however,  I  shall  assume  that  Mr.  Bell  positively  asserts  identi- 
ty of  structure.  I  positively  deny  it.  The  intestines  of  the 
wolf  are  considerably  shorter  than  those  of  the  dog,  evidently 
marking  him  as  an  animal  of  more  strictly  carnivorous  habits. 
The  orbits  are  placed  higher  and  more  forward  in  the  skull. 
The  proportion  between  the  bones  of  the  hind  legs  differs — so 
does  the  number  of  toes.  The  structure  of  the  teeth  is  differ- 
ent, these  being  in  the  wolf  much  larger,  and  the  molar  teeth 
of  the  upper  and  under  jaws  being  adapted  to  each  other,  in 
the  wolf,  in  a  peculiar  scissors-like  manner,  rendering  them 
infinitely  more  serviceable  for  breaking  bodies — a  structure 
not  found  in  the  dog. 

II. — I  deny  that  the  wolf  is  "  susceptiA  of  the  highest 
degree  of  domestication,  and  capable  of  g*j&|t  affection  for 
mankind,  which  has  been  abundantly  aBved."  When 
has  it  been  proved  ?  I  have  seen  many  1jp-called  "  tame 
wolves,"  but  never  one  that  might  be  trusted,  or  that  did  not, 
when  opportunity  offered,  return  to  his  fierce  nature  and  wild 
habits.  The  whelps,  too,  produced  by  these  partially  domes- 
ticated wolves,  are  not  in  the  smallest  degree  influenced  by  the 
domestication  of  their  parents.  The  Royal  Zoological  Society 
of  Ireland  had,  some  years  ago,  in  their  garutns,  Phoenix 
Park,  a  pair  of  very  tame  wolves.  These  produced  young, 
which  became  tame  likewise,  and  in  their  turn  produced  cubs. 
The  society  very  kindly  presented  me  with  one  of  the  last 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG.  19 

mentioned  cubs,  which,  though  only  five  we'eks  old  when  I 
took  l.im  from  his  dam,  was  as  fierce  and  violent  in  his  own 
little  way  as  the  most  savage  denizen  of  the  forest.  I  brought 
up  this  animal  among  my  dogs  ;  for  them  he  conceived  a  con- 
siderable degree  of  affection,  or  respect  perhaps,  for  submission 
was  the  most  striking  feature  of  his  conduct  towards  them ; 
and  was  doubtless  induced  by  the  frequent  and  substantial 
castigations  he  received  from  "  Bevis,"  a  noble  dog  of  the  true 
breed  of  bloodhound ;  but  beyond  this  he  was  any  thing  but 
tame.  He  never,  it  is  true,  exactly  dared  to  attack  me  in 
front,  but  he  once  showed  a  disposition  to  do  so,  when  I  pulled 
him  down  by  the  tail  as  he  was  endeavoring  to  get  over  my 
garden  wall.  He,  however,  on  several  occasions,  charged  at 
me  from  behind,  when  he  thought  my  attention  was  otherwise 
engaged.  I  was,  however,  invariably  on  my  guard,  ever 
carried  a  good  stick,  and  on  these  occasions  the  wolf  always 
got  the  worst  of  it.  He  once  only  succeeded  in  inflicting  a 
severe  bite ;  and  as  by  this  time  I  had  utterly  despaired  of 
making  any  thing  of  him — he  was  about  eighteen  months  old 
— I  sent  him  about  his  business.  He  subsequently  fell  into 
the  hands  of  a  showman,  and  assumed  his  proper  position — • 
the  caravan. 

As  to  dogs,  when  accident  drives  them  to  subsist  on  their 
own  resources,  thus  rendering  them  wild,  I  grant  the  fact  of 
their  assuming  feral  characters  ;  but  as  to  their  thus  acquiring, 
in  the  course  of  a  few  generations,  the  habit  and  aspect,  or  the 
general  similitude  of  wolves,  I  humbly  conceive  it  to  be  an  as- 
sertion only,  and  one  that  has  yet  to  be  proved.  Even  such 
dogs  as  have  been  thus  driven  into  feral  and  independent  life, 
will  be  found  ever  ready  to  acknowledge  the  control  of  man, 
and  may,  with  comparatively  little  trouble,  be  induced  to  re- 
turn to  their  allegiance  to  him.  Nor  will  the  whelps  of  such 
redomesticated  dogs  be  born  wild,  as  is  the  case  with  the  cubs 
of  the  tamest  wolves.  It  is,  in  the  case  of  these  dogs,  circum- 
stances, and  not  natural  instinct,  that  have  driven  them  wild  ; 
and,  these  circumstances  ceasing  to  operate,  domestication 
returns. 

I  would  ask  another  question.  How  does  it  happen  that  the 
dog  is  to  be  met  with  in  every  quarter  of  the  globe  to  which 
man  has  penetrated,  while  the  true  wolf  has  never  yet  been 
met  with  south  of  the  equator  ?  Further,  are  not  several  dis- 
tinct species  of  wolf  admitted  to  exist  ?  Is  there  not  more  than 
one  distinct  species  of  wolf  admitted  by  naturalists  to  exist  in 
North  America  alone  ?  It  has  not  even  been  attempted  to  be 


20  NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG. 

proved  that  these  species  are  identical ;  their  distinctness  has 
been  more  than  tacitly  admitted.  Yet  they  resemble  each  other 
far  more  closely  than  any  wolf  does  the  dog.  Has  the  dog, 
then,  been  derived  from  each  and  all  of  these  wolves,  or  has 
the  original  wolf,  origin  alike  of  wolf  and  dog,  been  yet  prop- 
erly indicated  ?  Should  not  this  fact  be  duly  ascertained  pri- 
or to  that  in  question  ?  Again,  are  there  not  numbers  of  wild 
dogs — are  there  not  wild  canines  in  South  America,  Austra- 
lia, Arabia,  India  ? — admitted  on  all  hands  to  be  essentially 
distinct,  which  no  naturalist  has  as  yet  attempted  to  deduce 
from  a  common  origin;  yet  are  not  these  far  more  nearly 
allied  to  the  dog  than  to  the  wolf?  Are  there  not  likewise 
several  admitted  species  of  fox  ?  Why  not  first  clear  up  these 
doubtful  points,  ere  proceeding  to  such  as  are  more  remote 
from  the  point  at  issue  ? 

I  likewise  deny  that  the  wolf  and  the  dog  will  breed  to- 
gether in  a  stale  of  nature.  In  their  native  forests  they  clear- 
ly will  not,  or  the  wild  dog  would  not  still  remain  distinct 
from  the  wolf,  whose  lair  is  in  the  immediate  neighborhood 
of  his  own.  Man's  efforts  and  skill,  combined  with  partial 
domestication,  may,  indeed,  induce  a  union  between  them, 
but  naturally  they  shun  each  other,  and  mutually  exhibit  a 
strong  natural  antipathy.  Nor  will  these  animals — the  wolf 
and  the  dog — breed  together,  unless  one  of  them,  at  least,  be 
thoroughly  domesticated.  How  else  have  all  attempts  to  pro- 
duce a  breed  between  the  wolf  and  Australian  dingo  so  sig- 
nally failed  ? 

Neither  is  the  simple  breeding  together  of  animals,  and  the 
fertility  of'their  offspring,  a  sufficient  proof  of  identity  of  spe- 
cies. Some  of  our  uninquiring  naturalists,  who  are  satisfied  to 
follow  quietly  in  the  footsteps  of  their  predecessors,  may,  doubt- 
less, start  at  my  assertion  ;  but  I  am  not  the  less  prepared  to 
maintain  its  truth.  Mr.  Hodgson  (Proceedings  of  Zoological 
Society,  1834)  has  shown  that  the  capra  tharal — the  goat  of 
Nepaul — and  the  domestic  goat  breed  together.  The  hunch- 
backed zebu  of  India  will  breed  with  our  common  cattle,  and 
the  offspring  is  prolific.  Pallas  has  stated  that  in  various  parts 
of  Russia  the  sheep  and  the  goat  have  bred  together.  The 
Chinese  and  the  European  pigs,  differing,  according  to  Mr. 
Eyton,  in  important  osteological  particulars,  will  do  so  like- 
wise ;  and  in  the  "  Proceedings  of  the  Zoological  Society, 
1831,"  page  66,  we  find  the  same  related  of  the  hare  and 
rabbit.  To  this  I  may  add,  that  the  mule,  the  offspring  of 
the  horse  and  ass,  haar  also  produced  foals.  Now,  as  to  fer. 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG.  21 

tility  of  offspring,  I  would  beg  my  zoological  readers  to  ob. 
serve,  that  it  will  not  prove  identity  of  species,  but  merely  a 
dose  alliance,  unless,  indeed,  when  that  fertility  exists,  inter 
se,  between  the  hybrids  themselves ;  that  the  wolf  and  dog, 
jackal  and  dog,  fox  and  dog,  will,  if  proper  pains  be  taken, 
breed  together,  I  know,  for  I  have  proved  it ;  but  I  also  know 
that,  unless  in  the  case  of  the  wolf  and  fox,  the  progeny  are 
sterile  ;  and  also  that  even  in  those  cases,  although  capable 
of  reproducing  with  either  dog,  fox,  or  wolf,  they  are  not  ca- 
pable of  doing  so  inter  se;  this  is  ai.  important  fact,  and  one 
that  I  have  not  yet  seen  noticed. 

I  might  adduce  further  facts  in  support  of  my  objections  to 
this  Lupine  or  Vulpine  theory,  but  I  feel  that  I  have  refuted 
it  sufficiently  ;  and  in  the  language  of  the  bar,  I  say,  "  Our 
case  rests  here." 

I  now  come  to  another  theory,  which  has  been  embraced 
and  supported  with  equal,  if  not  greater  ardor,  viz. — that  all 
the  known  varieties  of  dog  have  taken  their  origin  from  one 
originally  created  variety,  and  that  one  the  shepherd's  dog. 

Many  naturalists,  and  these  natives  of  different  countries, 
have  advanced  this  theory,  and  still  they  have  all  employed 
the  one  designation  in  indicating  their  favorite  type,  viz.-— 
the  shepherd's  dog.  I  must  here  first  take  the  liberty  of  in- 
quiring, what  shepherd's  dog  ? — for  shepherds'  dogs  differ  most 
materially  from  each  other.  Bjiffon— as  any  gallant  French- 
man would — stood  up  for  the  originality  of  the  matin,  or  shep- 
herd's dog  of  his  own  country.  Later  writers,  all  copying 
more  or  less  from  him,  have  adhered  to  the  theory  of  the 
sheep-dog  origin,  while  they  have  forgotten  the  difference 
which  exists  between  their  own  national  sheep-dogs,  and  those 
indicated  by  Buffbn.  Truly  there  exists  but  little  similitude 
between  the  tailless,  woolly-looking  animal,  the  sheep-dog  of 
England  ;  the  fox-like  colley  of  Scotland  ;  the  gaunt  and 
short-haired  cur  of  Ireland  ;  the  matin  of  Buffon  ;  the  noble, 
stately,  and  powerful  sheep-dog  of  the  Pyrenees,  the  guardian 
of  the  flocks  of  the  Abruzzi ;  the  gigantic  mastiffs,  the  herd- 
dogs  of  the  Himalaya  mountains  ;  and,  in  short,  between  va- 
rious other  sorts  of  sheep-dog,  used  foi  tending  flocks  in  as 
various  portions  of  the  known  world.  Shall  we  assume  the 
original  type  to  have  been  the  sheep-dog  or  matin  of  France, 
or  the  more  graceful  colley  of  Scotland  ?  Are  we  to  believe 
that  a  brace  of  either  of  these  dogs  were  the  progenitors  of  the 
entire  canine  race  ?  Did  the  gigantic  boar-dog — the  noble 
Newfoundland — the  courageous  and  powerful  mastiff— the 


£2  NATURAL   HISTORY   OF   THE   DOG. 

slender  and  rapid  greyhound — the  stunted  yet  formidable 
bull-dog — the  diminutive  and  sensitive  Blenheim  spaniel — and 
the  still  more  diminutive,  and  now  almost  extinct,  lapdog  of 
Malta — all  arise  from  a  brace  of  curs  ?  If  they  did,  to  what 
are  we  to  attribute  the  varieties  now  existing?  We  are 
told,  to  climate  and  breeding.  As  to  breeding,  how  could  it 
operate  when  there  was  but  a  single  pair  to  breed  from  ? 
How,  if  the  varieties  of  dog  proceeded  but  from  one  original 
type,  could  development  thus  be  produced  extending  beyond 
the  limits  of  the  faculties  and  powers  proper  to  that  type  ? 
Will  change  of  climate  ever  convert  a  greyhound  into  a  bull- 
dog ?  Will  it  truncate  the  muzzle,  raise  the  frontal  bones, 
enlarge  the  frontal  sinuses,  or  effect  a  positive  alteration  of 
the  posterior  branches  of  the  lower  maxillary  bones  ?  Or  will 
change  of  climate,  on  the  other  hand,  operate  to  convert  a 
bull-dog  into  a  greyhound,  produce  a  high  and  slender  form, 
diminish  the  frontal  sinuses,  deprive  the  animal  of  the  sense 
of  smell,  at  least  comparatively,  together  with  courage  and 
other  moral  qualities  depending  on  organization  ?  I  say  noth- 
ing ;  I  only  ask  my  intelligent  readers,  do  they  believe  this 
possible  ?  Thus  far  a  very  eminent  naturalist,  Colonel  Ham- 
ilton Smith,  goes  with  me,  hand  in  hand ;  all  that  I  have  ad- 
duced he  admits,  but  here  we  unfortunately  part  company. 
Colonel  Smith  seeks  to  account  for  these  differences,  by  call- 
ing in  the  intervention  of  a  supposed  admixture  of  wolf,  fox, 
or  hyaena,  &c.  He  admits  an  originally  formed  dog,  and  one 
variety  only  ;  and  refers  for  the  alterations  that  have  taken 
place  in  him  to  crossing  with  these  wild  animals.  Now,  I  con- 
sider this  theory  as  even  less  tenable  than  that  of  the  wolfish 
or  Vulpine  origin  of  the  dog,  as  the  colonel  is  obliged  to  bring 
several  races  of  wild  dogs  to  his  aid  ;  and,  may  I  venture  to 
inquire,  where  is  their  origin  ?  Besides  this,  we  have  to  refer 
to  the  decided  antipathy  subsisting  between  these  animals  in  a 
state  of  nature,  and  thus  effectually  precluding  intermixture, 
unless  through  human  intervention  and  agency,  which  clearly 
was  never  exerted  in  that  condition  for  this  purpose.  For 
my  own  part,  I  am  content  that  the  false  theories  which  have 
been  advanced  should  be  overthrown  and  confuted  ;  and  I  am 
satisfied  to  admit  that  an  impenetrable  veil  of  mystery  appears 
to  hang  over  the  subject,  and  the  suggestions  that  I  am  about 
to  advance  are  submitted  to  my  readers  with  extreme  diffi- 
dence and  reluctance. 

Whether  more  than  one  variety  of  any  species  of  animals 
was  formed  at  the  Creation  is,  perhaps,  still  a  question,  though 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG.  23 

most  naturalists,  I  must  admit,  have  peremptorily  decided  to 
the  contrary.  I  would,  for  my  own  part,  venture  so  far  as 
to  say  that,  let  it  be  once  granted  that  the  dog  was  formed 
prophetically  by  the  Creator  in  order  that  he  might  be  the 
friend  and  assistant  of  man,  after  the  fall  should  have  de- 
prived him  of  the  allegiance  of  other  animals,  it  is  scarcely 
too  much  to  suppose  that  two  varieties  were  then  formed. 
One  would  scarcely  seem  sufficient  for  the  purpose,  while  two 
might  have  been  so ;  and  by  their  intermixture  and  subse- 
quent breeding,  we  can  readily  imagine  how  the  other  races 
might  have  been  produced.  I  may  add  that  this  view  is  in 
strict  accordance  with  the  divisions  into  which  osteological 
investigation,  and  more  particularly  examination  of  their  skulls, 
resolve  the  many  varieties  of  dog  with  which  we  are  now  ac- 
quainted. I  do  not,  however,  see  any  necessity  for  insisting 
on  this  point — I  merely  throw  out  the  suggestion.  No  one 
can  contradict  it,  neither  have  we  any  means  of  satisfactorily 
establishing  it.  An  impenetrable  veil  of  mystery  hangs  over 
the  origin  of  the  dog,  that  I  much  fear  will  never  be  removed 
until  time  itself  shall  be  no  more,  and  we  shall  become  ac- 
quainted with  this  amongst  other,  and,  for  the  present  abstruse 
and  dark,  mysteries  of  nature. 


CHAPTER  II. 

» 

EARLY    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG. 

THAT  the  dog  was  one  of  those  animals  that  did  not,  at  the 
"  fall,"  swerve  from  their  allegiance,  but  maintained  their 
fidelity  to  man,  can  scarcely  be  questioned.  The  earlier 
portions  of  the  sacred  writings  make  frequent  mention  of 
him,  but  ever  as  a  settled,  domestic  animal,  as  one  that  had 
ever  been  so  from  the  beginning,  and  never  once  hint  at  his 
having  been  reclaimed  from  a  wild  state.  Had  he  been  so 
reclaimed,  I  have  no  doubt  but  it  would  have  been  noticed, 
for  a  far  less  important  event  is  actually  recorded — viz.,  the 
discovery  of  the  mode  of  breeding  the  mule  ;  it  is  only  fair, 
at  the  same  time,  to  acknowledge  that  some  translators  read 
this  word  "  warm  springs,"  and  not  mules.  We  are  told 
that  this  was  that  "  Anah  that  found  the  mules  in  the  wilder- 


24  NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG. 

ness,  while  he  was  herding  his  father's  asses."  While 
herding  his  father's  asses,  if  my.  reading  be  correct,  they 
were,  doubtless,  visited  by  a  drove  of  wild  coursers ;  inter- 
course was  the  consequence,  and  mules  the  ultimate  result, 
— a  valuable  acquisition,  doubtless,  to  the  ass,  but  still  not 
half  so  valuable  as  the  domestication  of  so  useful  an  animal 
as  the  dog  would  have  been. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  Book  of  Genesis,  we  find  Jacob, 
when  blessing  his  sons,  employing  the  ferocity  of  the  wolf  as 
a  familiar  simile.  In  the  account  of  the  departure  of  the 
Israelites  from  Egypt — an  event  which  occurred  about  two 
hundred  years  afterwards — we  find  the  dog  familiarly  men- 
tioned, and  his  watchful  powers  and  barking  clearly  re- 
cognised as  things  of  course.  "  Nor  shall  a  dog  open  his 
mouth."  I  am  aware  that  some  may  deduce  from  this  very 
circumstance  the  opinion  that  the  dog  was  only  a  reclaimed 
wolf,  unknown  to  the  world  until  the  period  of  the  Jews' 
sojourn  in  Egypt ;  and  that  the  Egyptians,  eminent  as  they 
were  for  art  and  invention,  had,  among  other  acquisitions, 
achieved  that  of  the  domestication  of  the  wolf,  and  his  con- 
version into  a  dog  ;  I  shall  not  admit  any  such  induction, 
however.  After  the  flood,  and  at  the  dispersion  of  the  pro- 
jectors of  the  tower  of  Babel,  the  world  lost  many  arts  and 
other  acquisitions  that  they  before  possessed  :  the  Egyptians 
were,  as  far  as  history  can  inform  us,  the  first  to  form  them- 
selves into  a  nation,  after  that  event,  and  to  cultivate  the  arts 
and  sciences,  or  rather,  perhaps,  to  revive  former  known,  but 
long-neglected  studies, 

It  is  to  the  Egyptians,  contrary  indeed  to  popular  opinion, 
but  no  less  certainly,  that  we  owe  the  possession  of  the 
horse,  and  it  is  likely  to  them  also  that  we  owe  that  of  the 
dog ;  this,  however,  does  not  prove  that  these  animals  were 
not  previously  in  a  domesticated  state,  before  the  flood  and 
the  subsequent  confusion  of  tongues  at  Babel  had  produced 
so  many  striking  changes,  and  thrown  so  many  valuable 
branches  of  knowledge  into  the  gulf  of  oblivion. 

The  few  graphic  touches  with  which  Solomon,  in  Proverbs 
xxx.  31,  by  a  compound  epithet,  like  those  in  Homer,  has 
described  a  renowned  and  noble  animal,  translated  "  a  grey- 
hound," invite  special  notice,  in  addition  to  their  appropriate- 
ness,  from  the  recollection  of  that  celebrated  monarch's 
fame  for  knowledge  of  God's  works,  as  has  been  record- 
ed in  1  Kings,  iv.  33 — "  And  he  spake  of  trees,  from  the 
cedar-tree  that  is  in  Lebanon,  even  to  the  hyssop  that  spring. 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG.  25 

eth  out  of  the  wall ;  he  spake  also  of  beasts,  and  of  fowl, 
and  of  creeping  things,  and  of  fishes" — from  which  has 
been  taken  the  beautiful  description  of  him  in  "  Heber'p 
Palestine"— 

"  He,  the  sage,  whose  restless  mind 
Through  Nature's  mazes  wander'd  unconfined  ; 
Who  every  bird,  and  beast,  and  insect  knew, 
And  spake  of  every  plant  that  quaffeth  dew." 

T  think  that,  from  the  above  passage  of  Proverbs,  we  may 
infer  that  the  dog  had,  by  Solomon's  time,  arrived  at  many 
varieties ;  and  are  not  the  familiar  uses  of  the  dog  likewise 
shown  forth  in  Isaiah,  Ivi.  10,  11,  and  in  the  account  of 
Tobit's  dog  in  the  Apocrypha  ? 

From  sacred  we  may,  however,  turn  to  profane  history. 
The  Egyptians  have,  from  the  very  earliest  ages,  held  the 
dog  in  particular  estimation ;  and  a  French  writer  of  much 
ingenuity  furnishes  us  with  a  very  plausible  reason  for  their 
predilection.  "  The  Egyptians,"  says  M.  Elzear  Blaze, 
"  seeing  in  the  horizon  a  superb  star,  which  appeared  al- 
ways at  the  precise  time  when  the  overflowing  of  the  Nile 
commenced,  gave  to  it  the  name  of  Sirius,  [the  Barker,]  be- 
cause it  appeared  to  show  itself  expressly  in  order  to  warn 
the  laborer  against  the  inundation.  '  This  Sirius  is  a  god,' 
said  they — '  the  dog  renders  us  service ;  it  is  a  god !'  Its 
appearance  corresponding  with  the  periodical  overflow  of  the 
Nile,  the  dog  soon  became  regarded  as  the  genius  of  the 
river,  and  the  people  represented  this  genius,  or  god,  with 
the  body  of  a  man  and  the  head  of  a  dog.  It  had  also  a 
genealogy  ;  it  took  the  name  of  Anubis,  son  of  Osiris  ;  its 
image  was  placed  at  the  entrance  of  the  temple  of  Isis  and 
Osiris,  and  subsequently  at  the  gate  of  all  the  temples  of 
Egypt.  The  dog  being  the  symbol  of  vigilance,  it  was  thus 
intended  to  warn  princes  of  their  constant  duty  to  watch 
over  the  welfare  of  their  people.  The  dog  was  worshipped 
principally  at  Hermopolis  the  Great,  [Chemnis  or  Ouchmon- 
nein  in  modern  Arabic,]  and  soon  afterwards  in  all  the  towns 
of  Egypt.  Juvenal  writes  : — 

'  Oppida  tota  canem  (Anubim)  venerantur ;  nomo  Dianam.' 
[*  Whole  cities  worship  the  dog,  (Anubis ;)  no  one  Diana.'] 

At  a  subsequent  period,  Cynopolis,  the  <  City  of  the  dog,' 
[now  Samallout,]  was  built  in  its  honor,  and  there  the  priests 
celebrated  its  festivals  in  great  splendor." 

3 


26  NATURAL    HISTORY    OP    THE    DOG. 

Other  writers  say  that  Anubis  was  represented  as  bearing 
a  dog's  head,  because  when  Osiris  proceeded  upon  his  Indian 
expedition,  Anubis  accompanied  him,  clothed  in  the  skin  of 
that  animal.  This,  however,  is  at  most  very  dubious,  as 
many  writers  assert  Anubis  to  have  been  clothed,  on  this  oc- 
casion, with  the  skin  of  a  sheep,  and  not  that  of  a  dog.  Be 
this  as  it  may,  the  worship  of  the  dog-god  rapidly  travelled 
westward,  and  soon  became  intermingled  with  the  religious 
rites  of  other  nations.  Lucan  says  — 

"  Nos  in  templa  tuam  Romana  acccpirnus  lain,  semicaneaque  decs." 
("  We  have  received  into  our  Roman  temples  thine  Isia,  and  divinities 


The  fire-worshippers  of  Persia  also  paid  divine  honors  to 
the  dog,  by  representing,  under  his  form,  the  good  principle, 
by  whose  aid  they  were  enabled  to  repel  the  assaults  of  the 
powers  of  evil  ;  and  he  is  still  held  in  deep  veneration  by  the 
modern  Parsees. 

The  ancient  Britons  would  likewise  appear  to  have  held 
the  doe  in  high  respect,  for  when  desirous  of  framing  for 
themselves  titles  of  honor  or  distinction,  they  assumed  his 
name.  CM.  in  the  language  of  the  ancient  British,  signifies 
a  dog;  and  do  we  not  recollect  the  noble  names  of  Cunolx  -lin, 
Cynobelin,  and  Canute  ?*  According  to  an  eminent  author,f 
the  word  Khan,  a  title  of  dignity  in  the  East,  is  identical  . 
with  Can,  and  is  likewise  derived  from  the  idea  of  a  dog. 
In  the  Erse,  or  native  Irish,  the  word  Cu  signifies  at  once  a 
dog  and  a  champion. 

Even  the  awful  gates  of  Hades  were  furnished  by  the 
ancient  poets  with  a  faithful  and  formidable  guardian  in  the 
shape  of  a  dog  ;  but  as  the  task  of  watching  those  dreadful 
precincts  was,  doubtless,  regarded  as  no  ordinary  one,  Cer- 
berus, the  watch-dog  of  the  Avernian  portals,  was  awunU-rl 
three  heads  instead  of  one,  to  ensure  a  triple  degree  of  watch- 
fulness. 

Seldom  has  the  dog  brought  down  obloquy  upon  his  name  ; 
but  even  he,  with  all  his  noble  qualities,  has  had  his  mo- 
ments of  frailty.  Cerberus  himself  .listened  to  the  promptings 
of  sordid  appetite,  and,  like  many  another  sentinel,  accepted 


*  Canute  was  a  Dane,  and  this  appellative,  therefore,  dhows  the 
pounectuoL'  between  the  Celtic  and  Teutonic  or  Sclavonic. 
t  Hamilton  Smith. 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG.  27 

of  a  bribe,  and  betrayed  his  trust.  The  watch-dogs,  too, 
of  the  Roman  capitol  once  slept  upon  their  post, — thus,  but 
for  the  alarm  given  by  the  wakeful  and  clamorous  geese, 
surrendering  devoted  Rome  to  the  ruthless  arm  of  invading 
Gaul.  A  similar  failure  of-  duty  is  noticed  in  Scripture,  as 
occurring  among  the  Jewish  dogs : — "  His  watchmen  are 
blind  ;  they  are  all  ignorant ;  they  are  all  dumb  dogs  ;  they 
cannot  bark — sleeping,  lying  down,  loving  to  slumber.  Yea, 
they  are  greedy  dogs,  which  can  never  have  enough." — 
Isaiah,  Ivi.  10,  11. 

According  to  De  La  Vega,  the  Peruvians  likewise  former- 
ly worshipped  the  dog,  while,  singularly  enough,  they  also 
ate  his  flesh  at  their  festivals  ;  and,  according  to  a  modern 
authority,*  this  animal  is  even  yet  worshipped  by  the  Ja- 
panese, under  a  form  similar  to  that  of  the  Egyptian  Anubis, 
and  under  the  name  of  Amida.  Nor  are  we  to  forget  Virgil, 
who  notices  this  noble  animal  in  many  passages,  among 
which  I  cannot  omit  the  following : — 

"  Nee  tibi  cura  canum  fucrit  postrema  :  sed  unft. 
Veloccs  Spartce  Catulos  acremque  Molossum 
Pasce  aero  Pingui:  nunquarn  custodibus  illis 
Nocturnum  Stabulis  furem,  incursusque  luporum, 
Ant  impacatos  a  tergo  horrebis  Iberos. 
Snepe  etiam  cursu  timidos  agitabis  onagros  ; 
Et  canibus  leporem,  canibus  venabere  damas. 
Ssepe  voiutubris  pulsos  silvestribus  apros 
Latratu  turbabis  age  us  ;  montesquo  per  altos 
Ingentem  clumore  premes  ad  retia  cervum." 

Georgic.  Lib.  III.,  Line  404. 

From  the  earliest  periods  the  dog  has  commanded  atten- 
tion and  respect — in  many  instances,  as  I  have  shown,  even 
worship ;  and  in  no  instance  do  we  find  his  name  confounded 
with  that  of  the  wolf,  jackal,  or  fox  :  such  has  not  only  been 
the  result  of  my  own  inquiry,  but  I  am  happy  to  be  able  to 
adduce  the  very  high  authority  of  Colonel  Hamilton  Smith, 
who  writes : — "  A  thorough  philological  inquiry  would  most 
assuredly  show,  that  in  no  language  and  at  no  period  did 
man  positively  confound  the  wolf,  the  jackal,  or  the  fox,  with 
a  real  dog." 

Further  particulars  relative  to  the  early  history  of  the  dog, 
will  be  elicited  in  the  course  of  our  description  of  the  several 
varieties. 


Kvmpfor. 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOO. 


CHAPTER  III. 

VARIETIES    OF    DOG. 

I  MAY  premise  that  I  shall  first  treat  of  the  wild  dogs ;  and 
that  I  shall  do  so  as  a  separate  class,  which  I  believe  th«  n  t : 
be — namely,  not  domestic  dogs  run  wild,  nor  yet  as  the  wil.l 
type  of  our  domestic  dog ;  but  as  a  separate  species,  only 
entitled  to  consideration  in  this  place,  as  constituting  a  linK 
b« -tween  dog  and  wolf,  and  as  being  a  species  still  more 
nearly  allied  to  the  common  dog  than  that  animal,  althougn 
by  no  means  specifically  identical  ;  as  the  cheetah,  or  hunt- 
ing leopard — the  "  felis  jubata" — is  said  to  do  betut •< -n  the 
f -lines  and  the  canines,  resembling  the  greyhound  in  general 
form,  and  differing  from  the  true  felines  in  not  poss 
retractile  claws,  &c. 

The  most  remarkable  of  the  wild  dogs  aro — the  Dingo  of 
Australia;  the   Kararahe;  the  Dhole   and   Jungle   koola  of 
India  ;  the  wild  dog  of  China  ;  the  bush-dog,  or  Aguara,  of 
South  America  ;  the  Deeb  of  Egypt.     Of  the  so-called  wild 
dogs  of  Southern  Africa,  the  "  canis  pictus"  of  I 
&c.,  I  shall  say  nothing  in  the  present  volume,  as  !: 
N  not  at  all   to  be  considered  as  dogs,  being  far  more  nearly 
allied  to  the  hyaena. 

THE    DINGO. 

The  Dingo,  called  by  the  natives  of  Australia,  "War- 
ragal,"  is  about  the  size  of  a  middling  foxhound,  or  from 
twenty-three  to  twenty-four  inches  in  height  at  the  shoulder. 
In  form  he  partakes  of  many  of  the  characteristics  of  both 
dog  and  wolf,  and  is  not  very  unlike  the  cross  produced  by 
the  intermixture  of  these  two  animals.  Flis  ears  are 
his  muzzle  pointed,  his  tail  bushy,  his  coat  of  moderate 
length,  and  his  color  usually  a  buff  or  bay.  Many  authors 
assert  that  the  Dingo  never  erects  his  tail,  but  always  carries 
it  in  a  pendent  position  :  it  is  not  so.  The  Dingo  ordinarily 
carries  his  tail  curled  over  his  back  ;  it  is  only  when  irn- 
tated  or  alarmed  that  he  lowers  it.  I  had  many  opportunities 
9f  observing  a  very  fine  specimen  lately  in  the  gard&ns  of 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG. 


the  Royal  Zoological  Society  of  Ireland,  Phoenix  Park,  and 
I  found  that  a  lowering  of  the  tail  invariably  denoted  mis- 
chief— that  member  being  usually  carried  over  the  back.* 
The  Dingo  seldom  growls,  and  never  barks  ;  although  I  must 
say,  that  I  have  known  captive  specimens  chained  near  do- 
mestic dogs,  to  acquire  a  sort  of  half  howl  or  yelp,  which, 
apparently  a  little  tuition  would  have  converted  into  a 
genuine  "  bow  wow."  The  Dingo  is  easily  rendered  tolera- 
bly tame  ;  but  is  never  to  be  trusted  ;  if  he  escape  from 
confinement,  he  will  forget  in  a  moment  the  lessons  of  years, 
and  slaughter  and  rapine  will  follow  in  his  mad  career. 
This  animal  is  a  great  scourge  in  his  native  country,  and  is 
carefully  exterminated  whenever  he  approaches  a  settlement. 
He  is  most  remarkably  tenacious  of  life,  and  is  a  very  obsti- 
nate fighter  ;  instances  are  related  of  the  Dingo  sustaining  a 
combat  with,  and  ultimately  getting  away  from  four  or  five 
stout  hounds  ;  and  very  few  dogs  can  kill  a  Dingo  single- 
handed  :  they  fight,  like  the  wolf,  in  silence ;  they  utter  no 
cry  of  pain,  but,  like  that  grim  felon,  die  as  hard  as  they 
have  lived.  Of  their  power  of  endurance  I  may  give  the 
following  instances,  related  by  Mr.  George  Bennett,  in  his 
"  Wanderings  in  New  South  Wales."  "One  had  been 
beaten  so  severely  that  it  was  supposed  all  the  bones  were 
broken,  and  it  was  left  for  dead  ;  after  the  person  had  walked 
some  distance,  upon  accidentally  looking  back,  his  surprise 
was  much  excited  by  seeing  the  Dingo  rise,  shake  himself, 
and  march  into  the  bush,  evading  all  pursuit.  One  supposed 
dead  was  brought  into  a  hut,  for  the  purpose  of  undergoing 

*  I  can  also  adduce  the  authority  of  Mr.  Drewett,  of  Portobello  Cfcr- 
dens,  a  person  of  undoubted  experience. 

3* 


30  NATURAL   HISTORY    OF   THE    TOG. 

decortication  :  at  the  commencement  of  the  skinning  process 
upon  the  face,  the  only  perceptible  movement  was  a  slight 
quivering  of  the  lips,  which  was  regarded,  at  the  time,  as 
merely  muscular  irritability.  The  man,  after  skinning  a 
very  small  portion,  left  the  hut  to  sharpen  his  knife,  and  re- 
turning found  the  animal  sitting  up,  with  the  flayed  integu- 
ment hanging  over  on  one  side  of  the  face." 

Another  traveller*  relates  anecdotes  illustrative  of  the 
tenacity  of  life  exhibited  by  this  animal ;  but  the  details  are 
so  revolting  that  I  refrain  from  quoting  them. 

Frequent  experiments  have  been  instituted,  with  a  view  to 
procure  a  hybrid  race  between  the  Dingo  and  the  common 
dog,  but  without  success.     Mr.  Cunningham  notices  a  hybrid 
race  of  this  description,  as  established  in  New  Holland  ;  but 
as  he  has  given  no  specific  description,  I  am  dispo^ 
question  the  accuracy  of  his  report.     Even,  how< 
Mr.  Cunningham's  suppositions  really  confirmed,  the  fact  of 
the  Dingo  and  domestic  dog  breeding  together  would   not 
militate  in  any  degree  against  the  truth  of  my  positions — as  I 
have  no  hesitation  in  admitting  that  groups  of  animals  may  l>c, 
though  specifically  distinct,  yet  so  nearly  allied,  as  to  intermix 
and  even  produce  reproductive  offspring.     The  question  as  to 
fertility  existing  in  the  offspring  of  such  unions  inter  *c,  must, 
of  necessity,  be  satisfactorily  settled  ere  identity  can  b<- 
suggested.     He  may  have  been  imposed  upon  by  the  nat 
or  may  have  confounded  with  such  a  supposed  mongrel  race 
a  breed  of  Dingos  of  a  black  and  tan  color,  which  ;i 
more  easily  tamed  than  the  common  variety.     Of  th-  s-   tln-n* 
was  a  fine  pair,  about  six  years  ago,  in  the  gardens  of  the 
Irish  Zoological  Society,  and  they  were  remarkably  gentle. 

In  New  Zealand  there  has  been  found  an  apparently  feral 
dog,  called  by  the  natives  •'  KARARAH£,"  respecting  which  a 
tradition  exists  that  he  was  given  to  them  some  centuri. 
by  certain  divinities  who  visited  their  shores.  In  aspect,  this 
log  very  closely  resembles  the  Dingo,  but  he  appears  to  have 
been  partially  domesticated. 

THE   DHOLE. f 

The  Dhole  is  a  native  of  India,  over  which  peninsula  it  ex- 
tends in  great  numbers,  and  bears  different  names  in  different 

*  Clarke. 

tThe  Dhole  a  agreeably  described  in  -  Williamson's  Oriental  Field 
Sports." 


NATURAL   HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG.  31 

parts.  It  was  originally  described  by  Mr.  Hodgson  as  the 
Buansu,  and  by  him  given  the  title  of  Canis  PrimcEVus,*  as,  in 
his  opinion,  it  was  the  origin  of  the  domestic  dog,  (Zool.  Pro- 
ceed., 1833  ;)  and  in  the  same  volume  of  proceedings  we  read 
a  communication  addressed  to  the  secretary,  and  describing  a 
wild  dog  by  the  name  of  dhole,  as  found  in  the  Presidency  of 
Bombay.  The  locality  of  Mr.  Hodgson's  dog  was  Nepal,  the 
eastern  and  western  limits  of  its  range  being  the  Sutlctj  and 
Burhampootra. 

In  1831,  Colonel  Sykes  described  a  wild  dog  from  the  Mah- 
rattas,  which  he  calls  the  wild  dog  of  the  Deccan.  Colonel 
9  subsequently  compared  specimens  of  his  wild  dog  with 
that  deseribi-d  by  Mr,  Hodgson,  and  found  them  to  correspond 
in  the  most  minute  particulars,  even  to  the  circumstance  of 
wanting  the  hinder  tubercular  toothf  of  the  lower  jaw,  and 
varying  only  in  quantity  and  quality  of  coat — a  variation 
depending  clearly  on  individual  peculiarity  and  on  climate. 

The  Dhole,  Buansu,  or  Kolsun — for  these  names  are  synony- 
mous— is  about  the.  size  of  a  small  wolf,  but  is  much  more 
powerfully  built,  its  limbs,  in  particular,  being  remarkably 
large-boned,  and  muscular,  in  proportion  to  its  size  ;  its  ears 
are  large,  and  rounded  at  the  tips ;  the  muzzle  is  moderately 
pointed,  somewhat  like  that  of  the  greyhound ;  the  tail  very 
bushy  ;  its  color  is  a  sandy  red,  or  buff. 

In  habits,  these  dogs  present  all  the  characteristics  of  fero- 
cious beasts  of  prey.  They  prowl  by  night  and  by  day  in- 
discriminately, and  hunt  in  packs  of  from  ten  to  sixty.  While 
in  pursuit,  they  utter  a  peculiar  yelp,  and  it  is  on  scent,  and 
not  on  sight,  that  they  mainly  depend  for  success.  Their 
speed  is,  however,  considerable,  and  their  savage  courage  and 
endurance  render  them  a  terror  to  the  most  formidable  rangers 
of  the  wild.  The  panther,  the  wild  hull,  the  tiger,  the 
elephant,  fall  an  easy  prey  before  a  pack  of  dholes.  On  they 
swrcp,  coming  upon  their  game  with  the  force  of  an  avalanche, 
and  overwhelming  their  victim  in  a  living  torrent.  The 
hunted  animal  may,  indeed,  kill  many  of  his  enemies  ;  but  he 
has  little  time  afforded  him  for  exertion,  or  display  of  prowess, 

*  Original  or  primeval  dog. 

t  Has  any  one  of  my  zoological  readers  ever  found  the  hinder  tubercular 
tooth  of  the  lower  jaw  absent?  If  so,  I  would  be  thankful  for  the  in- 
formation. The  connection  of  deficiency  of  hairy  covering  with  deficiency 
of  teeth,  has  been  already  pointed  out  by  that  eminent  naturalist,  Col 
II.  Smith  ;  but  I  have  met  with  more  instances  in  opposition  to  than  con- 
firmatory of  his  opinion  in  this  resprct. 


32  NATURAL   HISTORY    OF   THE    DOG. 

for  the  dead  or  wounded  are  hardly  missed  ere  others  hava 
rushed  into  their  places. 

Colonel  Baber  says,  (Trans.  Asiat.  Soc.) — "  As  often  as  I 
have  met  with  them,  they  have  been  invariably  in  packs  of 
from  thirty  to  perhaps  sixty.  They  must  be  very  formidable, 
as  all  animals  aie  very  much  afraid  of  them.  Frequently 
remains  of  hogs  and  deer  have  been  brought  to  me  which 
have  been  taken  overnight  by  these  wild  dogs.  The  natives  as- 
sert that  they  kill  tigers  and  cheetahs,  and  there  is  no  doubt  of  the 
fact."  It  would  appear  that  the  Dhole  is  susceptible  of  being 
tamed,  if  taken  young;  adults  are  not  to  be  made  any  thing 
of,  (Hodgson.)  In  Ceylon,  there  is  a  variety  of  Dhole  of  a 
bay  color,  very  fierce,  but  more  solitary  in  its  habits.  In 
Sumatra,  there  is  a  wild  dog  of  smaller  size,  very  like  a  fox, 
of  an  ashy  gray  color,  with  sharp  muzzle  and  black  whiskers. 
In  Java  there  exists  a  wild  dog  about  the  size  of  a  wolf,  of  a 
brownish  color.  Colonel  Sykes  brought  a  Dhole  to  England 
some  years  ago,  and  presented  him  to  the  Zoological  Society 
of  London — the  first  specimen,  I  believe,  ever  brought  living 
to  Europe. 

THE   WILD   DOG   OP   CHINA. 

This  dog  is  very  like  the  Dhole,  but  is  usually  less  in  size, 
and  its  ears  are  smaller  and  more  pointed  ;  its  color  is  a 
bright  bay.  Of  its  habits  in  its  native  country  we  know  little, 
further  than  that  they  are,  like  those  of  its  Indian  congener, 
at  once  predatory  and  gregarious.  I  saw  one  that  had  been 
brought  over  to  this  country,  and  which  appeared  exceedingly 
tame  and  playful.  I  found,  however,  that  it  was  very 
treacherous,  for  although  it  had  suffered  me  to  caress  it  with 
my  hand,  and  had  even  taken  bread  from  me,  the  moment  I 
turned  to  depart,  it  plunged  after  me  and  snapped  at  my  legs ; 
fortunately,  however,  nothing  suffered  but  the  cloth  of  my 
trousers.  I  have  been  told  that  this  wild  dog  is  identical  with 
that  of  Ceylon,  but  I  want  data  on  whioh  to  found  an  opinion. 


THE   AGUARA    OP   SOUTH    AMERICA. 

When  the  new  world  was  first  discovered,  the  natives  were 
found  in  possession  of  domesticated  dogs,  very  different  in  ap- 
pearance from  any  of  the  European  races  ;*  and  besides 
these  were  found  several  wild  canines,  called  Aguaras.  The 

•  la  this  fact  to  be  lost  sight  of? 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG.  83 

natives  call  them  bush-dogs,  or  dogs  of  the  woods,  and  assert 
that  they  are  only  tame  dogs  run  wild. 

The  wild  dog  most  common  in  South  America  is  a  small, 
short-legged,  stout,  fox-like  animal,  but  somewhat  larger  than 
the  fox.  It  is  often  hunted  for  its  skin,  and  such  of  its 
bn-thren  as  may  have  been  partially  reclaimed  by  the  natives, 
make  no  scruple  of  joining  in  the  chase.  These  dogs  are  very 
silent,  and  are  great  rogues.  They  appear,  indeed,  to  thieve 
from  a  pure  and  innate  propensity  to  thievery,  for  they  will 
steal  and  hide  articles  for  which  they  can  have  no  possible 
use. 

THE  DEEB  OF  EGYPT. 

Principally  inhabiting  Nubia  and  Abyssinia — the  Thous 
Anthusof  H.  Smith — ears  erect,  muzzle  not  sharpened  at  the 
point,  lips  semi-pendulous,  tail  short  and  hairy,  color,  a  mix- 
ture of  dirty  white,  black,  and  buff,  producing  a  series  of 
small  black  spots,  caused  by  the  union  of  the  tips  of  the  longer 
hairs.  This  dog  has  likewise  been,  by  some  naturalists,  re- 
garded as  the  origin  of  our  domestic  dogs  ;  and  it  is  certainly 
of  very  ancient  origin,  as  has  been  proved  by  heads  of  dogs 
taken  from  the  catacombs,  which  evidently  belong  to  a  similar 
variety. 

Of  the  habits  of  the  Deeb  I  have  not  been  able  to  obtain 
any  very  satisfactory  information,  excepting  that  it  appears 
more  cowardly  than  wild  dogs  usually  are,  and  that  it  is  easily 
tamed,  when  it  becomes  very  affectionate.  Its  height  is  about 
eighteen  inches. 

We  now  arrive  at  the  main  subject  of  this  volume — 


THE    DOMESTIC    DOG. 

Even  when  taken  in  detail,  the  anatomy  of  the  domestic  dog 
can,  perhaps,  scarcely  be  said  to  differ  materially  from  that 
of  the  wolf  or  the  wild  dogs,  the  points  in  which  any  dis- 
crepancy exists  not  being  sufficiently  striking  to  catch  any 
but  an  experienced  eye.  Such  discrepancies,  however,  do 
exist,  and  when  combined  with  other  and  important  physio- 
logical facts,  are  sufficient  to  establish  the  non-identity  of  the 
canine  and  lupine  families.  I  have,  however,  noticed  some 
of  these  discrepancies  already,  and  it  is  unnecessary  to  re- 
capitulate them  here. 

The  dog  belongs  to  the  MAMMALIA,  or  animals  possessing 
teats  for  the  nourishment  of  their  young  ;  to  the  CARNIVOBA, 


«*4  NATURAL    HISTORY    OP   THE    DOG. 

or  flesh-eaters — for  flesh  forms  the  chief  article  of  his  diet, 
He  is  digitigrade,  for  in  walking  he  supports  himself  on  the 
extremities  of  his  toes,  or  digits.  He  is  usually  grouped 
with  the  wolf,  fox,  jackal,  dec.,  under  the  generic  appella- 
tion of  canis,  and  is  more  particularly  separated  from  these 
animals  by  the  term  cards  familiaris — the  familiar  or  do- 
tnestic  dog. 

The  dentition  of  toe  dog  is  as  follows  : — 

.n  the  upper  jaw,  six  incisors,  or  cutting-teeth  ; 

two  canine  teeth,  or  tusks  ; 

six  molars,  or  grinders,  on  each  side. 
In  the  lower  jaw,  six  incisors  ; 

two  canines ; 

seven  molars  on  each  side. 

Of  the  upper  molar  teeth,  three  are  foist  molars,  two  are 
tubercular,  and  one  is  carnassier,  or  formed  rather  for  rending 
than  grinding.  Of  the  lower  molars,  four  are  false,  two 
tubercular,  and  one  carnassier.  In  some  wild  canines,  the 
second  tubercular  molar-tooth  of  the  lower  jaw  is  constantly 
wanting,  as  in  the  Dholes,  &c. ;  and  in  one  (Mcgalotis,  H. 
Smith)  there  exists  a  redundancy — there  being,  in  the  upper 
jaw,  seven  molars  on  each  side,  and  in  the  lower,  eight. 

The  true  dog  has  five  toes  on  the  fore  feet,  and  four  toes 
on  the  hind  ;  but  occasionally  a  fifth  toe  occurs  on  the  hind 
feet — sometimes  on  one,  and  sometimes  on  both.  This  toe  is 
called  the  dew-claw,  and  is  usually  removed  by  the  sportsman 
while  the  animal  is  young,  as  its  presence  is  calculated  to 
impede  its  movements.  Some  writers  speak  of  this  claw  as 
peculiar  to  certain  breeds.  I  have  had  much  experience  in 
dogs,  and  regard  it  as  an  unquestionable  evidence  of  im- 
purity of  breed,  wherever  existing.* 

Various  attempts  have  been  made  by  modern  writers  to 
classify  the  varieties  of  the  domestic  dog  into  groups.  A 
very  recent  author  (Mr.  Martin)  has  adopted  the  form  ana 
size  of  the  ear  as  a  criterion.  Colonel  Smith  appears  to  have 
depended,  in  a  great  measure,  upon  color.  These  ideas  are 
both  very  good,  when  taken  as  adjuncts  to  another  system  of 
a  more  philosophical  foundation,  but  are  of  themselves  false 
and  deceptive. 

•  Mongreliam,  or  impure  breeding,  will  often  manifest  itself  many  gen-  * 
cration*  after  the  crott  ha*  taken  place,  and  when  all  other  appearance  of 
such  has  been  lost 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG.  35 

1  ain  disposed  to  take  the  lamented  Frederick  Cimer  as 
ny  guide,  and  to  form  the  varieties  of  dog  into  groups,  in- 
Jicaicd  by  the  least  variable  portion  of  their  oncological 
structure — craniological  development. 

This  arrangement  may  be  formed  with  great  ease  and 
simplicity.  All  the  varieties  of  the  domestic  dog  are  readily 
divisible  into  three  great  classes,  as  follow  : — 

I.  Such  dogs  as   present  a  convergence  of  their  parietal 
oones,   (the  side-walls  of  the   skull,    as   it   were,)  and   the 
condyles  of  whose  lower  jaw  are  somewhat  below  the  level 
of  the  molar  or  cheek-teeth  of  the  upper.     These  present  an 
elongated  muzzle,  a  high  and  somewhat  slender  frame,  and 
are  far  more  remarkable  for  their  powers  of  sight  and  swift- 
ness,  than  for  a  very  high  development  of  the  sense  of  smell. 

II.  The   second   group   consists   of   dogs  which    present 
parietal   bones  parallel,  or  at  least  neither  apparently  con- 
vcrgent  nor  divergent,  and  the  condyles  of  the  lower  jaw  on 
a  level  with  the  upper  molar  teeth.     These  are  usually  dogs 
of  great  sagacity,  and   generally  pdsscss  the  sense  of  smell- 
ing in  a  very  high  degree.     It  is,  however,  somewhat  pre- 
mature to  speak  of  them,  previous  to  a  description  of  the 
third  group. 

III.  Parietal  bones  sensibly  divergent,  and  the  condyles  of 
the  lower  jaw  much  above  the  line  of  the  upper  molar  teeth- 
This  group  presents  a  strongly  marked  contrast  to  the  first, 
and   the  varieties  of  which   it  is  constituted   are  generally 
characterized  by  great  bulk  of  body,  by  powerful  strength, 
indomitable  courage,  pugnacity  of  disposition,  and  not  any 
very  great  development  of  mental    powers.     Although  the 
varieties  constituting  this  group   appear  to  possess  a  large 
development  of  forehead,   the    appearance  is  chiefly  owing 
rather  to  a  thickening  of  bone  in  those  regions  than  to  such  a 
development  of  brain  as  would  predicate  a  high  degree  of  in- 
tellectual power. 

The  first  and  third  groups  present,  more  especially  the 
former,  strong  marks  of  originality  ;  the  second  looks  very 
much  as  if  it  owed  its  origin  to  the  intermixture  of  the  first 
and  third.  Of  the  origin  of  the  dog  I  have,  however,  said 
enough  ;  and  I  have  now  only  to  enumerate  and  describe  his 
varieties. 

Under  a  fourth  head  I  shall  describe  mongrels,  and  among 
them  such  few  cross-breeds  as  have  been  found  judicious  an? 
|  rofitable,  and  have  now,  consequently,  become  almost  set- 
tled varieties. 


36  NATURAL    HISTOR*    OF   THE    DOO. 

The  first  group  is  represented  by  the  greyhound  ;  and  may 
appropriately  be  divided  into  two  sub.  varieties,  depend  it. 
their  distinction  chiefly  on  the  length  and  texture  of  tli.ir 
hair.  These  sub-varieties  are  the  rough,  or  long-haired— 
and  the  smooth,  or  short-haired.  I  may  enumerate  them  a.« 
follows : — 


Rough 


Irish  wolf-dog, 

Highland  deerhound, 

Russian  greyhound, 

Scottish  greyhound, 

Persian  greyhound,  (two  sub-varieties,) 

Greek  greyhound, 

Arabian  greyhound. 


(Common  British  greyhound, 
Italian  greyhound, 
Turkish  greyhound, 
Tiger-hound  of  South  America. 

Although  I  have  here  separated  the  Irish  wolf-dog  from 
the  Highland  deerhound,  and  from  the  Scottish  greyhound, 
I   have  only  done   so,   partly  in   conformity  with   g« 
opinion  that  I  have  yet  to  correct,  and  partly  because  these 
three  dogs,  though  originally  identical,  are  now  unquestiona 
bly  distinct  in  many  particulars.     That  is  to  say,  the  modern 
Highland   deerhound,   though   the   descendant  of  the   Irish 
wolf-dog,  yet  in  some  respects  differs  from  what  that  noble 
animal  was ;  and  the  Scottish  greyhound,  again,  is  just  as 
different  from  his  prototype  the  deerhound. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

CLASS    I. THE   GREYHOUNDS. 

•UBDITmON    A. — TUB   EOUGH   GREYHOUND* 

Tht  Irith  Wolf-dog,— Canit  Grain*  Hibernicut. 

THIS  renowned  and  redoubted  animal,  from  age  to  age,  in 
tradition  and  in  song,  one  of  the  glories  of  "  The  Sacred 
Isle,"  and  with  his  kindred  unrivalled  race,  the  Irish  giant. 


NATURAL    HISTORY   OF    THE    DOG.  87 

deer — her  recognised  emblem,  from  among  her  animated 
tribes,  celebrated  and  extolled  by  all  authors  and  lovers  of 
natural  history,  native  and  foreign,  and  of  universal  i'amc  in 
his  own  country — has  been  long  ranked  in  peerless  dignity, 
"  facile  princeps,"  at  the  head  of  the  whole  dog  family. 
When  the  noble  dogs  of  Greece  and  of  India  were  at  the 
height  of  their  renown  among  the  ancients,  those  of  Erin 
were  not  as  yet  known,  though  they  soon  afterwards  obtained 
celebrity.  The  dogs  of  Greece  appear  to  have  had  a  strange 
and  mysterious  affinity  with  those  of  the  West.  Those  ot 
India  have  disappeared  from  our  knowledge,  and  baffled  our 
research,  though  they,  too,  probably  shared  in  this  affinity, 
through,  perhaps,  the  often-proposed  medium  of  the  Phoeni- 
cians, or  through  that  of  the*  Phocsean  colony  from  Asia 
Minor,  (see  Herodotus.)  Marsilia,  in  Gaul,  the  modern 
Marseilles,  (see  Moore.)  Many  derivations  of  the  name 
greyhound  have  been  suggested,  and  among  others  great 
hound — grey-hound,  (from  color.)  My  own  impression  is, 
that  the  true  one  is  Greek  hound,  grains,  and  we  have  rea- 
son to  believe  that  to  that  country  we  are  indebted  for  the 
race. 

The  great  pint  at  issue  relative  to  the  natural  history  of 
the  Irish  wolf-dog,  may  be  stated  as  being  whether  he  be- 
longed to  the  greyhound  race,  or  was  of  more  robust  form, 
approaching  that  of  the  mastilf.  There  are,  indeed,  indi- 
viduals who,  without  a  shadow  of  ground  on  which  to  base 
their  opinions,  deem  him  to  have  been  a  mongrel,  bred  be- 
tween mastitr  and  greyhound,  &c.  Of  this  last-mentioned 
theory,  as  it  has  no  fact  or  authority  of  any  sort  to  support 
it,  I  shall,  of  course,  say  nothing — more  especially  as  no 
such  proof  is  attempted  by  the  advocates  of  this  very  singular 
opinion. 

In  support  of  the  mastiff*  doctrine,  we  have  one  single 
modern  authority — if,  indeed,  authority  it  can  be  called. 
About  fifty  years  ago,  the  late  Aylmer  Burke  Lambert,  Esq., 
read  a  paper  before  the  Linnoean  Society,  subsequently  pub- 
lished in  the  third  volume  of  that  Society's  Transactions,  de- 
scriptive of  some  dogs  in  possession  of  Lord  Altamont,  son  of 
the  Marquis  of  Sligo,  and  stated  to  have  been  the  old  Irish 
wolf-dog.  The  dog  described  and  figured  by  Mr.  Lambert 
is  a  middling-sized  and  apparently  not  very  well-bred  speci- 


*  I  employ  the  term  mastiff  only  for  brevity,  and  for  the  sake  of  direct 
antagonism  to  the  greyhound  doctrine. 


58  NATURAL   HISTORY    OF   THE    DOG. 

men  of  a  comparatively  common  breed  of  dog,  called  the 
GREAT  DANE,  an  animal  that  shall  be  treated  of  in  this  vol- 
ume in  his  proper  place.  Had  this  been  the  Irish  wolf-dog, 
re  absurd  to  speak  of  his  scarcity,  far  less  of  his  KXTIM-. 
TION  !  That  Lord  Altamont  thought  his  dogs  were  wolf-dogs, 
I  do  not  doubt ;  and  it  is  very  possible  that,  some  g'»n<  r 
back,  they  might  have  had  a  strain  of  the  true  breed  in  them, 
subsequently  lost  by  crossing  ;  and  I  likewise  make  no  doubt 
but  that  the' Great  Dane,  introduced  into  this  country  by  our 
Danish  invaders,  was  often  used  in  olden  time  as  an  auxiliary 
in  the  chase  of  the  savage  animals,  the  wolf  in  pnrtirular, 
with  which  our  woods  abounded  ;  but  is  it  not  most  abs 
find  writers  adopting  Mr.  Lambert's  description  and  figure  of 
his  Danish  mastiff,  and  yet  adhering  to  the  aneient  nomencla- 
ture of  "  Canis  Grains  Hibernicus" — the  Irish  greyhound  ! 

Nor  would  these  mastiff-like  dogs  have,  alone,  proved  equal 
to  the  task  of  wolf-hunting.     They  might,  indeed,  if 
fine  specimens — but  not  such  as  Lord  Altamont's — have 
sufficiently  powerful  to  grapple  with  their  grisly  foe  ;   hut  that 
foe  was  very  swift  of  foot,  and  he  had  first  to  be  caught — a 
feat  that  dogs  of  their  heavy  make  would  find  it  impossible  to 
perform.     Wanting  the  fleetness  necessary  to  run  into  so  swift 
an  animal,  they  would  equally  have  failed  in  attempting  to 
run  him  down  by  scent.     These  dogs  are  of  a  very  lethargic-, 
sluggish  temperament,  qualities  greatly  in  tin  ir  t'i\or  as  boar- 
hounds,  the  purpose  to  which  they  are  applied  in  their  native 
country,  for  if  they  were  too  eager  or  too  swift  in  pursuit  of 
the  boar,  there  would  very  soon  be  but  few  of  the  pack  left 
alive  ;  but  such  qualities  would  be  most  unsuitable,  in 
in  the  chase  of  an  animal  characterized  by 

"  The  long  gallop  which  can  tire 
The  hound's  deep  hate,  and  huntsman's  fire.** 

It  is  evident,  then,  that  the  desideratum  in  a  wolf-dog  was 
a  combination  of  extreme  swiftness,  to  enable  him  to  overtake 
his  rapid  and  formidable  quarry,  and  vast  strength  to  seize, 
secure,  and  slay  him  when  overtaken. 

I  may  here  observe  that,  about  five  or  six  years  ago,  I  pub- 
lished  an  article  on  this  subject  in  the  «'  Irish  Penny  Journal,"* 
which  every  writer  on  dogs  who  has  published  since  that  time 
has  done  me  the  honor  of  appropriating,  some  with  full  and 
fair  acknowledgment,  others  with  only  such  a  partial  ac- 

•  May,  1841. 


NATURAL   HISTORY   OF   THE   DOG.  39 

xnowledgment  as  was  calculated  to  mislead  the  reader.  I 
now  lay  claim  to  my  own  property,  and  finally  embody  it  in 
.he  following  pages,  with  many  additions,  the  result  of  subse- 
quent investigation.* 

Pliny  relates  a  combat  in  which  the  dogs  of  Epirus  bore  a 
part.  He  describes  them  as  much  taller  than  mastiffs,  and 
of  greyhound  form ;  detailing  an  account  of  their  contests 
with  a  lion  and  an  elephant.  This,  I  should  think,  suffices 
to  establish  the  identity  of  the  Irish  wolf-dog  with  the  far- 
famed  dogs  of  Epirus. 

Strabo  describes  a  gigantic  greyhound  as  having  been  in 
use  among  the  Celtic  and  Pictish  nations ;  and  as  being  held 
in  such  high  esteem,  as  to  have  been  imported  into  Gaul 
for  the  purposes  of  the  chase. 

Silius  describes  a  large  and  powerful  greyhound  as  having 
imported  into  Ireland  by  the  Belgae  ;  thus  identifying 
the  Irish  wolf-dog  with  the  celebrated  Belgic  dog  of  antiquity, 
which  we  read  of  in  so  many  places  as  having  been  brought 
to  Rome  for  the  combats  of  the  amphitheatre. 

Hollinshed  says  of  tho  Irish — "  They  are  not  without  wolves, 
and  greyhounds  to  hunt  them,  bigger  of  bone  and  lirnb  than 
a  colt."  Campion  also  speaks  of  him  as  a  "greyhound  of 
great  bone  and  limb." 

Evelyn,  describing  the  savage  sports  of  the  bear-garden, 
says — "  The  bull-dogs  did  exceeding  well,  but  the  Irish  wolf- 
dog  exceeded,  which  was  a  tall  greylwund,  a  stately  creature, 
and  did  beat  a  cruel  mastiff."  Here  we  have  an  actual  com- 
parison of  powers,  which  marks  the  dojr  to  have  been  a  grey- 
hound, and  quite  distinct  from  a  mastiff 

In  the  second  edition  of  Smith's  "  History  of  Waterford," 
the  Irish  wolf-dog  is  described  as  much  taller  than  a  mastiff, 
and  as  being  of  the  greyhound  form,  unequalled  in  size  and 
strength.  Mr.  Smith  writes: — "Roderick,  King  of  Con- 
naught,  was  obliged  to  furnish  hawks  and  greyhounds  to  Hen- 
ry II.  Sir  Thomas  Rue  obtained  great  favor  from  the  Great 
Mogul,  in  1615,  for  a  brace  of  Irish  greyhounds  presented  by 
him.  Henry  VIII.  presented  the  Marquis  of  Dessarages,  a 
Spanish  grandee,  with  two  goshawks,  and  four  Irish  grey- 
hounds." 

In  the  reign  of  Richard  II.,  lands  were  still  held  under  the 
crown,  and  amongst  other  families,  by  that  of  Eugaine,  on 

*  In  justice,  I  must  here  state  that  the  account  in  question  was  only 
subscribed  with  my  initials,  H.  D.  R. 


40  NATURAL   HISTORY    OF   THE    DOG. 

condition  of  the  holders  keeping  a  certain  number  of  wolf-dega 
fitted  for  the  chase.     (H.  Smith.) 

Sir  James  Ware  has,  in  his  "  Antiquities  of  Ireland,"  col- 
lected  much  information  relative  to  this  dog,  from  which  I 
give  the  following  extract : — "  I  must  here  take  notice  of  those 
hounds,  which,  from  their  hunting  of  wolves,  are  commonly 
called  wolf-dogs,  being  creatures  of  great  strength  and  size, 
and  of  a  fine  shape.  I  cannot  but  think  that  these  are  the 
dogs  which  Symmachus  mentions  in  an  epistle  to  his  brother 
Flavianus.  'I  thank  you,'  says  he,  'for  the  present  you 
made  me  of  some  canes  Scotici,  which  were  shown  at  the  Cir- 
censian  games,  to  the  great  astonishment  of  the  people,  who 
could  not  judge  it  possible  to  bring  them  to  Rome  otherwise 
than  in  iron  cages.'  I  am  sensible  Mr.  Burton,  (Itinerary  of 
Anton,  220,)  treading  the  footsteps  of  Justus  Lipsius,  (Epist. 
ad  Belg.  Cent,  i.,  p.  44,)  makes  no  scruple  to  say,  that  the 
dogs  intended  by  Symmachus  were  British  mastives.  But, 
with  submission  to  such  great  names,  how  could  the  British 
mastive  get  the  appellation  of  Scoticus.  in  the  ago  Symmachus 
lived  ?  For  he  was  Consul  of  Rome  in  the  latter  end  of  the 
fourth  century  ;  at  which  time,  and  for  some  time  heiore, 
and  for  many  centuries  after,  Ireland  was  well  known  by  the 
name  of  Scotia,  as  I  have  shown  before,  (Chap.  I.)  Besides, 
the  English  mastive  was  no  way  comparable  to  the  Irish  wolf- 
dog  in  size  or  elegant  shape  ;  nor  would  it  make  an  astonish- 
ing  figure  in  the  spectacles  exhibited  in  the  circus.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  Irish  wolf-dog  has  been  thought  a  valuable 
present  to  the  greatest  monarch,  and  is  sought  after,  and  is 
sent  abroad  to  all  quarters  of  the  world  ;  and  this  has  been 
one  cause  why  that  noble  creature  has  grown  so  scarce  among 
us,  as  another  is  the  neglect  of  the  species  since  the  extinc- 
tion of  wolves  in  Ireland  ;  and,  even  of  what  remain,  the  size 
seems  to  have  dwindled  from  its  ancient  stateliness.  When 
Sir  Thomas  Rowe  was  ambassador  at  the  court  of  the  Great 
Mogul,  in  the  year  1615,  that  emperor  desired  him  to  send 
for  some  Irish  greyhounds,  as  the  most  welcome  present  he 
could  make  him,  which  being  done,  the  Mogul  showed  the 
greatest  respect  to  Sir  Thomas,  nnd  presented  him  with  his 
picture,  and  several  things  of  value.  We  see  in  the  public 
records  an  earlier  instance  of  the  desire  foreigners  have-  had 
for  hawks  and  wolf-dogs  of  Irish  growth.  In  a  privy  seal 
from  King  Henry  VIII.  to  the  Lord  Deputy  and  Council  of 
Ireland,  wherein 'his  majesty  takes  notice,  « that  at  the  instant 
suit  of  the  Duke  of  Alberkyrke  of  Spain,  (of  the  Privy  Coun. 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG.  41 

cil  to  Henry  VIII.,)  on  the  behalf  of  the  Marquis  of  Desarrya, 
and  his  son,  that  it  might  please  his  majesty  to  grant  to  the 
said  marquis,  and  his  son,  and  the  longer  liver  of  ti.  em,  year- 
ly  out  of  Ireland,  two  goshawks  and  four  greyhounds;  and 
forasmuch  as  the  said  duke  hath  done  the  king  acceptable 
service  in  his  wars,  and  that  the  king  is  informed  that  the  said 
marquis  bearethto  him  especial  good-will,  he,  therefore,  grants 
the  said  suit,  and  commands  that  the  deputy  for  the  time  being 
shall  take  order  for  the  delivery  of  the  said  hawks  and  grey- 
hounds, unto  the  order  of  the  said  marquis  and  his  son,  and 
the  longer  liver  of  them,  yearly  ;  and  that  the  treasurer  shaK 
take  the  charges  of  buying  the  said  hawks  and  hounds.'  It 
is  true  that  British  hounds  and  beagles  were  in  reputation 
among  the  Romans,  for  their  speed  and  quick  scent.  Thus, 
Nemesian,  in  his  Cunegcticks  :  — 

*  -  Divisa  Britannia  mittit 
Veloces,  nostrique  orbis  venatibus  aptos.' 
'  Great  Britain  sends  swift  hounds, 
Fittest  to  hunt  upon  our  grounds.' 


And  Appian  calls  the  British  hound,  <fxi>\a.%  «^vsu7^ocr,  a  dog 
that  scents  the  track  of  the  game.  But  this  character  does 
not  hit  the  Irish  wolf-dog,  which  is  not  remarkable  for  any 
great  sagacity  in  hunting  by  the  nose.  Ulysses  Aldrovandus, 
and  Gesner,  have  given  descriptions  of  the  Cant's  Scoticus,  and 
two  prints  of  them  very  little  different  from  the  common  hunt- 
ing-hound. '  They  are,'  says  Gesner,  '  something  larger  than 
the  common  hunting-hound,  of  a  brown  or  sandy  spotted  col- 
or, quick  of  smelling,  and  are  employed  on  the  borders  be- 
tween England  and  Scotland  to  follow  thieves.  They  are 
called  sleut-hound.'  In  the  Regiam  Majestatem  of  Scotland 
is  this  passage  —  '  Nullus  perturbet  aut  impediat  Canem  tras- 
santem  aut  homines  trassantes  cum  ipso  ad  sequendum  latro- 
nes,  aut  ad  capiendum  latrones  :'  '  Nobody  shall  give  any 
disturbance  or  hinderance  to  tracing-dogs,  or  men  employed 
with  them  to  trace  or  apprehend  thieves  or  malefactors.' 
This  character  no  way  agrees  with  the  Irish  wolf-dog  ;  and 
the  reader  must  observe,  that  when  Gesner  and  Aldrovandus 
wrote,  in  the  sixteenth  century,  modern  Scotland  was  well 
known  by  the  name  of  Scotia,  which  it  was  not  in  the  fourth 
century,  when  Symmachus  wrote  the  aforesaid  epistle  ;  and. 
therefore,  the  Canis  Scoticus  described  by  Aldrovandus  and 
Gesner,  were  dogs  of  different  species." 

Thus  far  we  have  proved  the  Irish  wolf-dog  to  have  been  a 
4* 


42  NATURAL   HISTORY   OF   THE    DOG. 

large1-  greyhound,  of  size  and  strength  far  superior  to  ordinary 
dogs. 

The  original  greyhound  was  unquestionably  a  long-haired 
dog,  and  the  modern  smooth-coated  and  thin  animal,  now  known 
by  that  name,  is  comparatively  of  recent  date.  Of  this  we 
nave  sufficient  evidence  in  the  ancient  monuments  of  Egypt, 
where,  as  well  as  in  Persia  and  India,  rough  greyhounds  of 
great  size  and  power  still  exist.  A  dog  of  the  same  kind  has 
been  described  by  H.  Smith,  as  well  known  in  Arabia ;  and 
a  gigantic  rough  greyhound  was  found  by  Doctor  Clarke,  on 
the  confines  of  Circassia,  and  by  him  described  as  identical 
with  our  old  Irish  greyhound.  (Clarke's  Travels  in  Russia, 
Tartar y,  and  Turkey.) 

We  find  that  the  smooth  greyhound  was,  on  its  first  intro- 
duction, known  as  "gaze-hound,"  being  remarkable  solely 
for  sight  and  speed,  (H.  Smith ;)  and  in  process  of  time  the 
new  appellation  became  forgotten,  and  merged  in  the  original 
and  well-known  one  of  greyhound,  up  to  that  period  given 
exclusively  to  the  long-haired  variety,  (H.  Smith.)  We  may 
then  infer,  that  not  only  was  the  Irish  wolf-dog  a  greyhound, 
but  also  long-haired.  Whence  he  originally  came  would, 
perhaps,  be  difficult  to  determine  with  any  precision  ;  but  if  I 
might  be  permitted  to  hazard  a  conjecture,  I  should  refer  his 
origin  to  Western  Asia,  where  we  find  a  di>tim-t  representa- 
tive of  him  still  existing.  From  thence  he  was  brought  by 
the  Scythij  the  progenitors  of  the  Scoli,  or  ancient  Irish.  Per- 
haos  the  best  mode  of  defining  the  true  character  of  the  an- 
cient wolf-dog,  will  be  to  point  to  his  modern  representative  ; 
and  this  can,  I  conceive,  be  done  without  difficulty.  I  may 
here  quote  a  writer  in  the  "Penny  Cyclopaedia,"  (Art.  Ire- 
land,*)— "  The  Scoti,  who  were  in  possession  of  the  island  at 
the  time  of  the  introduction  of  Christianity,  appear  to  have 
been,  to  a  great  extent,  the  successors  of  a  people  whose  name 
and  monuments  indicate  a  close  affinity  with  the  Belgae  (a 

»  My  friend,  George  Petrie,  the  celebrated  Irish  antiquarian,  who  haa 
published  an  interesting  account  of  Cyclopean  architectural  remains  as 
found  in  Ireland,  is  disposed  to  connect  these  remains  with  the  mysterious 
*f\a<ryoi  (Pelasgi)  of  Herodotus,  which  have  given  rise  to  many  Pelasgian 
theories.  He  has  also  found  many  curious  traces  of  Greece  in  Ireland. 
Now  the  Irish  annalists,  &c.,  trace  these  colonies,  as  well  as  the  Tuatha 
da  Danaans,  (Danai  ?)  from  GREECE.  Is  not  Mr.  Petrie's  opinion,  there- 
fore, that  to  that  country  we  bwe  the  dog,  deserving  of  attention  ;  and  will 
not  this  afford  some  sort  of  plausibility,  at  least,  to  my  own  derivation  of 
tj*«  name  of  the  greyhound  :  Canis  Graius — Grajus — sive  Grtccus — Greek 


NATURAL   HISTORY   OF   THE   DOG.  43 

Teutonic  tribe)  of  Southern  Britain.  \.  people  also,  called 
Cruithore  by  the  Irish  annalists,  who  are  identifiable  with  the 
Picts  of  Northern  Britain,  continued  to  inhabit  a  portion  of 
the  island  distinct  from  the  Scoti,  until  after  the  Christian 
mission  ;  and  it  is  observable  that  the  names  of  mountains  and 
remarkable  places  in  that  district,  still  strikingly  resemble  the 
topographical  nomenclature  of  those  parts  of  North  Britain 
which  have  not  been  affected  by  the  Scotic  conquest.  The 
monuments  and  relics  which  attest  the  presence  of  a  people* 
considerably  advanced  in  civilization,  at  some  period  in  Ire- 
land— such  as  Cyclopean  buildings,  sepulchral  mounds  con- 
taining stone  chambers,  mines,  bronze  instruments  and  weap- 
ons, of  classic  form  and  elegant  workmanship — would  appear 
to  be  referable  to  some  of  the  predecessors  of  the  Scoti,  and 
indicate  a  close  affinity  between  the  earliest  inhabitants  of  Ire- 
land and  that  ancient  people."  We  may  infer,  then,  that  as 
Ireland  was  peopled  by  the  Itelgce,  the  Belgic  dog  of  antiqui- 
ty was  the  source  whence  we  derived  our  Irish  greyhound. 

We  are  informed  by  two  very  eminent  authorities — the  Ven- 
erable Bede,  and  the  Scottish  historian,  Major — that  Scot- 
land was  peopled  from  Ireland.  We  k-now,  and  I  have  shown 
as  much  in  my  extract  from  Sir  James  Ware,  that  by  the  ear- 
ly writers  Scotland  was  styled  Scotia  Minor,  and  Ireland,  Sco- 
tia Major ;  and  it  is  scarcely  necessary  for  me  to  make  any 
remark  as  to  the  identity  of  the  native  languages  of  the  prim- 
itive inhabitants  of  the  two  countries.  The  colonization, 
therefore,  of  Scotland  from  Ireland,  under  the  conduct  of 
Reuda,  being  admitted,  can  we  suppose  that  the  colonists  would 
omit  taking  with  them  specimens  of  such  a  noble  and  gallant 
dog,  and  one  that  must  prove  so  serviceable  to  their  emigrant 
masters  ;  and  that,  too,  at  a  period  when  men  depended  upon 
the  chase  for  their  subsistence  ?  True,  this  is  but  an  infer- 
ence ;  but  is  it  not  to  be  received  as  a  fact,  when  we  find  that 
powerful  and  noble  dog,  the  Highland  deerhound,  a  tall,  rough 
greyhound,  to  have  been  known  in  Scotland  since  its  coloni- 
zation ?  Formerly  it  was  called  the  wolf-dog  ;  but  with  change 
of  occupation  came  change  of  name.  In  Ireland,  wolves  were 
certainly  in  existence  longer  than  in  Scotland  ;  but  when 
these  animals  ceased  to  exist  in  the  former  country,  the  wolf- 
dogs  became  gradually  lost.  Not  so  in  Scotland,  where 
abundant  employment  remained  for  them,  even  after  the  days 
of  wolf-hunting  were  over  :  the  RED  DEER  still  remained  ;  and 
useful  as  had  these  superb  dogs  proved  as  wolf-dogs,  they  be- 
came,  perhaps,  even  more  valuable  as  deerhounds. 


44  NATURAL    HISTORY    OF   THE    DOG. 

Such  relics  of  Celtic  verse  as  have  escaped  the  merciless 
hand  of  time,  and  amongst  other  fragments,  those  collect 
Macpherson,   under  the  title  of  "  The  Poems   of  Oss 
inform  us  that  the  ancient  Scoti*  possessed  a  gigantic  «: 
hound,  an  animal  of  vast  size  and  prodigious  strength,  quali- 
ties more  than  equalled  6y  his  surpassing  speed,  which  \\  a< 
used  by  warriors  of  olden  time  in  the  chase  of  the  wolf  and 
deer.      Such    was   "BRAN,"   "Bounding   Bran,"   "\VhitP- 
breasted  Bran,"  *'  Hairy-footed  Bran."f     BRAN,  whose  very 
name  is  beautifully  indicative  of  his  character— of  the  char- 
acter  of  his   race — signifying,  as  Celtic  scholars  inform  us, 
'mountain  torrent."     Such,  indeed,  was  Bran,  the  favorite 
wolf-dog  of  Fionn  Mac  Comhal,  popularly  known  as  Fin  Mac 
Coul  ;  and  be  it  recollr-ctrd.   Fionn  was  an  Irish  chieftain, 
known  to  modern  ears  as  Fingal.i 

That  the  Irish  dog  was  imported  into  Scotland,  and  even  at 
a  later  period  than  that  to  which  I  have  alluded,  is  sufficient- 
ly evident  from  the  following  document,  being  a  copy  of  a 
letter  addressed  by  Deputy  Falkland  to  the  Ear)  of  Cork,  in 
1623  :— 

"My  LORD, 

"  I  have  lately  received  letters  from  my  Lord  Duke 
of  Buccleuch,  and  others  of  my  noble  friends,  who  have  en- 
treated me  to  send  them  some  greyhound  dogs  and  bitches  out 
of  this  kingdom,  of  the  largest  sort,  which,  I  perc. -iv,  ,  tln-y 
intend  to  present  unto  diverse  princes,  and  other  noble  persons  ; 
an«l  if  you  can  possibly,  let  them  be  white,  which  is  the  color 

•  Irish  or  Scotch  indifferently. 

t  These  epithets  will  strongly  remind  the  reader  of  Homer,  and  will  go 
to  show  how  nearly  the  diction  of  all  ancient  languages  will  be  found  to 
approximate — "  Dog-faced  Agamemnon,"  "  Swift-footed  Achilles,"  "  Gold- 
en-footed  Thetis."  The  simile  of  "  Mountain  torrent"  is  here  given,  a* 
employed  by  Ossian,  to  designate  the  impetuosity  of  the  wolf-dog.  Scott 
was  evidently  thinking  of  this  epithet,  as  thus  applied,  when  he  used  al- 
most its  converse  in  describing  a  torrent,  as 

"  A  tawny  torrent 

Like  the  mane  of  a  chcsnut  horse.** 

t  Fingal,  or  Fionn  Mac  Comhal,  son-in-law  of  Cornwic,  monarch  of 
Ireland,  of  whom  we  read  that  he  was  "  the  most  accomplished  of  all  lh« 
Milesian  princes,  whether  as  legislator,  soldier,  or  scholar — was,  according 
to  the  general  report  of  all  his  historians,  the  monarch  and  general  of  th« 
(aiued  Fianna  Eiriaun,  or  ancient  Irish  militia." — (Moore's  Ireland  T 
pp.  130-133, 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG.  45 

most  in  request  here.     Expecting  an  answer  by  the  bearer, 
_  commit  you  to  the  protection  of  the  Almighty,  and  am 

ft  Your  Lordship's  faithful  and  attached  friend, 

"  FALKLAND." 

• 

Moryson,  secretary  to  Lord  Deputy  Mountjoy,  likewise  dwells 
on  the  excellence  of  our  Irish  greyhounds,  while  he  at  the 
same  time  pays  a  compliment  to  the  physical  qualities  of  our 
men.  He  observes  : — "  The  Irish  men  and  greyhounds  are 
of  great  stature."  Lombard  says  that  the  "best  hunting- 
dogs  in  Europe"  were  produced  in  Ireland. 

Sir  William  Bctham,  Ulster  King-at-Arms,  has  stated  it  as 
his  conviction,  that  the  Irish  wolf-dog  was  "  a  gigantic  grey- 
hound, not  smooth-skinned,  like  our  greyhounds,  but  rough 
ind  curly-haired.  The  Irish  poets  call  the  wolf-dogs  *  Cu,' 
and  the  common  hound  f  gayer' — a  marked  distinction,  the 
word  '  Cu'  signifying  also  a  champion." 

The  justly  celebrated  Ray  has  described  the  Irish  wolf-dog 
as  a  tall,  rough  greyhound  ;  and  so  also  has  Pennant,  who 
descants  at  some  length  on  his  extraordinary  size  and  power. 

Llewellyn,  Prince  of  Wales,  was  presented  with  one  of 
these  dogs  by  John,  king  of  England.  The  reader  must  be 
familiar  with  that  beautiful  ballad,  founded  on  the  circum- 
stance of  this  noble  animal's  having  saved  Llewellyn's  young 
heir  from  the  attacks  of  a  wolf,  entitled  "  The  Grave  of  the 
Greyhound." 

In  a  code  of  Welsh  laws,  we  find  heavy  penalties  laid  down 
for  the  maiming  or  injuring  of  the  Irish  greyhound  :  in  this 
code  he  is  called  "  Cam's  Grajus  Hybernicus."  We  know 
that  the  dog  presented  by  John  was  a  tall,  rough  greyhound. 

These  extracts  are  all  confirmatory  of  the  Irish  wolf-dog 
having  been  a  tall,  rough  dog,  of  the  greyhound  make,  but 
far  stronger — similar,  in  short,  to  the  modern  Highland  deer- 
hound — but  I  can  adduce  further  reasons  why  we  must  re- 
gard him  as  identical  with  that  dog.  The  canine  skulls  found 
by  that  eminent  naturalist,  Surgeon  Wilde,  some  years  ago, 
at  Dunshaughlin,  and  described  by  him  in  a  paper  read  be- 
fore the  Royal  Irish  Academy,  were  evidently  those  of  rough 
greyhounds,  differing  from  the  modern  Highland  dog,  only  in 
their  superior  size — of  which  more  anon. 

The  Irish  greyhound,  although  very  scarce,  and  evidently 
much  degenerated,  has  existed  in  Ireland  until  within  a  few 
years — and  that  in  well-authenticated  purity.  Amongst  other 
possessors  of  the  breed,  I  may  mention  Robert  Evatt,  Esq.,  of 


46  NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG. 

Mount  Louise,  county  Monaghnn — specimens  of  whose  stock 
have  passed  into  the  hands  of  Francis  Carter,  Esq.,  of  Vicars 
Field,  county  Dublin.  Mr.  Carter  has  be~en  most  assiduous 
11  keeping  up  the  breed,  by  crossing  it  with  the  best  Scottish 
aijd  Welsh  dogs  he  could  obtain  ;  and  I  never  could  perceive 
any  difference  between  them,  except  that  the  Irish  dogs  were 
thicker,  and  not  so  high  on  their  legs,  as  either  the  Scottish 
or  Welsh.  One  of 'these  dogs,  sent  by  Mr.  Carter  to  Amer- 
ica, coursed  and  killed  a  wolf,  upon  the  open  prairie,  without 
assistance.  Few  dogs  can  do  this ;  and  I  refer  for  my  au- 
thority to  Mr-  Carter. 

As  to  the  size  to  which  the  Irish  wolf-dog  attained,  Gold- 
smith says  that  he  "  saw  above  a  dozen,  and  one  was  about 
four  feet  highf  or  as  tall  as  a  calf  of  a  year  old."  Buffbn 
says  he  never  saw  more  than  one,  and  that  it  was  five  feet 
high  when  sitting.  Ray  calls  it  "  the  greatest  dog  he  had 
ever  seen."  In  the  same  communication  from  Sir  W.  Be- 
tham,*  which  I  have  already  quoted,  that  gentleman  says, 
"Sir  J.  Browne  allowed  them  to  come  into  his  dining-room, 
when  they  put  their  heads  over  the  shoulders  of  those  who 
sat  at  table. 

If  Goldsmith  meant  that  he  saw  a  wolf-dog  four  feet  high  at 
the  head,  we  may  believe  him ;  and  so  may  we  believe 
Buffbn,  if  we  are  to  understand  him  as  measuring  the  sitting 
dog  with  a  line  along  the  back.  I  cordially  agree  that  it  was 
"  the  greatest  dog"  Ray  had  ever  seen  ;  but  I  am  uncertain 
as  to  tlie  manner  in  which  the  dogs  described  by  Sir  William 
Betham  "put  their  heads  over  the  shoulders"  of  the  gii.-sts 
seated  at  table.  Did  they  place,  as  dogs  are  apt  to  do,  their 
forefeet  on  the  back  rung  of  the  chair  ?  I  think  they  did : 
still,  however,  even  with  these  limitations,  they  must  be  ad- 
mitted to  have  been  gigantic  dogs. 

A  large  skull  was  recently  found  in  a  bog  in  Westmoath, 
by  a  collector  of  antiquities  and  other  curiosities,  named  James 
Underwood — a  man  long  and  favorably  known  to  men  of  sci- 
ence, for  his  unwearied  diligence,  patient  research,  and  acute 
discernment.  Of  this  skull  an  account  was  subsequently 
published  in  several  of  the  newspapers,  by  Mr.  Glennon,  of 
3,  Suffolk-street,  Dublin,  describing  it  as  the  skull  of  our  Irish 
wolf-dog.  Every  allowance  must,  however,  be  made  for  Mr. 
Glennon's  zeal  and  anxiety  to  bring  the  matter  forward  in  a 
hurry.  The  length  of  this  skull  was  between  seventeen  and 

•  Made  to  Mr  Haffield  in  1841. 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG.  47 

eighteen  inches,  which  would  have  furnished  a  living  head 
of  upwards  of  twenty  inches.  The  living  owner  of  the  skull 
must  have  been  at  least  four  and  a  half  or  five  feet  high  at 
the  shoulder.  I  do  not,  however,  believe  this  to  have  been 
the  skull  of  our  wolf-dog ;  although  I  cannot,  at  the  same 
time,  agree  with  those  who  suppose  it  to  be  the  skull  of  a 
bear.  Many  of  these  gentlemen  are  comparative  anatomists, 
and  their  opinions  are  deserving  of  some  attention ;  but  to 
a  close  observer,  the  skull  in  question  will  be  found  to  present 
many  discrepancies,  from  the  characters  of  the  ursine  group 
of  animals.  It  certainly  differs  also  from  the  canines,  in  the 
absence  of  the  last  molar  tooth  of  the  upper  jaw,  and  some 
other  particulars.  My  own  opinion  is,  that  this  is  the  skuli 
of  an  extinct  animal,  allied  to,  but  by  no  means  identical  with 
the  dog ;  and  an  animal  with  which  we  are  now  unacquaint- 
ed ;  partaking,  likewise,  somewhat  of  the  characteristics  of 
the  bears,  and  perhaps,  also,  the  hyaenas.  It  differs  from  the 
skull  of  the  hyaena  even  more  than  it  does  from  that  of  the 
bear.  The  only  bear  to  whose  skull  this  at  all  approaches  is 
the  Great  White  Bear,  (Ursus  Maritimus,)  whose  head  is  not 
at  all  unlike  that  of  a  shaved  deerhound.  This  skull,  then, 
I  only  mention,  in  order  to  avoid  any  misconception  arising 
relative  to  it;  or  any  misrepresentation  as  to  my  own  views 
respecting  it. 

The  canine  skulls  found  by  Surgeon  Wilde,  at  Dun- 
uhaughlin,  afford  a  very  rational  mode  of  .determining  the 
size,  or  at  least,  the  extreme  size,  of  the  wolf-dog  in  ancient 
times.  The  longest  of  these  skulls  (at  present  preserved  in 
the  Royal  Irish  Academy)  measures  in  length,  as  accurately 
as  may  be,  eleven  inches  in  the  bone.  This,  at  a  small  com- 
putation, allowing  for  muzzle,  hair,  skin,  and  other  tissues, 
would  give  fourteen  inches  as  the  length  of  the  head  in  life. 
As  the  skulls  are  those  of  greyhounds,  we  must  take  the  head 
of  a  greyhound  to  furnish  an  analogy.  Oscar,*  the  noble  dog, 
property  of  Mr.  J.  J.  Nolan,  which  so  long  proved  an  orna- 
ment to  our  Zoological  Gardens,  Phoenix  Park,  measured  nine 
and  a  half  inches,  from  muzzle  to  occiput :  his  height  at  the 
shoulder  was  twenty-nine  inches.  The  calculation  is  thus 
resolved  into  a  common  sum  in  proportion  :  which  may  be 
stated  thus  ;  for  the  sake  of  brevity  we  assume  Oscar's  head 
to  have  measured  ten  inches  : — 


•  Figured  in  our  frontispiece 


48  NATURAL   HISTORY   OF   THE    DOO. 

10     :     29     :     14     :     40-5 

This  would  give  a  height  of  three  feet  four  inches  ;  but 
this  skull  was  much  superior  in  size  to  any  others  ;  and  we 
may,  therefore,  fairly  come  to  the  conclusion,  that 
thirty. six  to  forty  inches  was  the  ordinary  stature  of  the 
wolf-dog — a  height  attained  to  by  none  of  our  modern  High- 
land dcerhounds,  or  by  any  dog  with  which  we  are  acquainted. 

K  has  been  asserted,  that  the  large  dogs  in  possession  of  the 
late  celebrated  Hamilton  Rowan,  were  Irish  wolf-dogs — an 
assertion  which  I  find  contradicted  by  Mr.  Martin,  (Knight's 
Weekly  Volume,  History  of  the  Dog,}  on  the  authority  of  a 
"  Dublin  Correspondent,"  who  has  informed  him  they  were 
not  wolf-dogs,  but  large  bloodhound*.  The  truth  is,  Mr. 
Rowan  possessed  several  fine  dogs,  of  the  breed  called  the 
Great  Dane,  animals  of  a  slaty-blue  mottled  color  ;  but  Mr. 
Rowan  was  well  aware  of  their  proper  designation,  and  never 
by  any  chance  called  them  by  a  wrong  name.  How  any 
person  could  be  so  ignorant  of  natural  history  as  to  call  them 
bloodhounds,  I  cannot  conceive.  Mr.  Rowan  also  possessed 
a  wolf-dog,  and  knew  him  to  be  such,  calling  him  the  "  last 
of  his  race."  This  dog  was  a  very  large  rough  greyhound, 
of  an  iron-gray  color,  perfectly  similar  to  our  Highland  deer, 
hound.  Mr.  Carter,  a  gentleman  to  whom  I  have  already 
alluded,  recollects  this  dog  perfectly,  and  affirms  him  t<> 
in  every  respect  resembled  his  own,  but  was  superior  in  size. 
Mr.  Rowan  subsequently  presented  this  wolf-dog  to  Lord 
Nugent.  I  suppose  this  is  the  dog  that  Mr.  Jesse  mentions  as 
having  possessed  so  wondrous  a  power  of  detecting,  by  the 
scent,  the  presence  of  the  Irish  blood  royal  !* 

The  Irish  wolf-dog  forms  the  subject  of  several  tradit 
The  following,  relating  to  '•  Bran,"  the  favorite  hound  of 
Fingal,  the  hero  of  Macpherson's  Ossian,  may  not  prove  un- 
interesting. There  are  two  accounts  of  this  transaction,  one 
given  by  Mr.  Grant,  in  his  work  on  the  Gael,  and  the  other 
by  Mr.  Scrope,  in  his  delightful  volume  on  Deer-stalking. 
They  differ  in  the  result  of  the  encounter.  I  shall  adopt  .Mr. 
Sc rone's,  deeming  it  the  most  authentic. 

"  Fingal  agreed  to  hunt  in  the  forest  of  Sledale,  in  company 
with  the  Sutherland  chief,  his  cotemporary,  for  the  purpose 
of  trying  the  comparative  merits  of  their  dogs.  Fingal 
brought  his  celebrated  dog  Bran  to  Sutherland,  in  order  to 

•  S<»  "  Punch/'  vol.  x.,  P.  230. 


NATURAL   HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG.  49 

compete  with  an  equally  famous  dog  belonging  to  the  Suther- 
land chief,  and  the  only  one  in  the  country  supposed  to  be 
any  match  for  him.  The  approaching  contest  between  these 
fine  animals  created  great  interest ;  White-breasted  Bran 
was  superior  to  the  whole  of  Fingal 's  other  dogs,  even  to  the 
*  surly  strength  of  Luah  ;'  but  the  Sutherland  dog,  known  by 
the  full-sounding  name  of  Phorp,  was  incomparably  the  best 
and  most  powerful  dog  that  ever  eyed  a  deer  in  his  master's 
forests. 

"  When  Fingal  arrived  in  the  forest  with  his  retinue  and 
dogs,  he  was  saluted  with  a  welcome  that  may  be  translated 
thus — 

" «  With  your  nine  great  dogs, 

With  your  uine  smaller  game -starting  dogs, 

With  your  nine  spears, 

Unwieldy  weapons ! 

And  with  your  nin«  gray,  sharp-edged  swords, 

Famous  were  you  in  the  foremost  fight* 

"The  Sutherland  chief  also  made  a  conspicuous  figure, 
with  his  followers,  and  his  dogs  and  weapons  for  the  chase. 
Of  the  two  rival  dogs,  Bran  and  Phorp,  the  following  descrip- 
tions have  still  survived  amongst  some  of  the  oldest  people  in 
Sutherland.  Bran  is  thus  represented  : — 

44 «  The  hind  leg  like  a  hook  or  bent  bow, 
The  breast  like  that  of  a  garron,* 
The  ear  like  a  leaf.' 

"  Such  w*ould  Fingal,  the  chief  of  heroes,  select  from 
amongst  the  youth  of  his  hunting-dogs.  Phorp  was  black  in 
color,  and  his  points  are  thus  described : — 

"  «  Two  yellow  feet  such  as  Bran  had; 
Two  black  eyes ; 
And  a  white  breast ; 
A  back  narrow  and  fair, 
As  required  for  hunting ; 
And  two  erect  ears  of  a  dark  brown  red.' 

"  Towards  the  close  of  the  day,  after  some  severe  runs, 
which,  however,  still  left  the  comparative  merits  of  the  two 
dogs  a  subject  of  hot  dispute,  Bran  and  Phorp  were  brought 
front  to  front,  to  prove  their  courage  ;  and  they  were  no  sooner 
untied,  than  they  sprang  at  each  other,  and  fought  desperately. 
Phorp  seemed  about  to  overcome  Bran,  when  his  master,  the 

*  A  stout  gelding. 
5 


£0  NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG. 

Sutherland  chief,  unwilling  that  either  of  them  should  be 
killed  called  out, '  Let  each  of  us  take  away  his  dog.'  Fingal 
objected  to  this;  whereupon  the  Sutherland  chief  said,  with  a 
taunt,  that  '  it  was  now  evident  that  the  Fingalians  did  not 
possess  a  dog  that  could  match  with  Phorp.' 

"  Angered  and  mortified,  Fingal  immediately  extended  his 
*  venomous  paw/  as  it  is  called,  (for  the  tradition  represents  him 
as  possessing  supernatural  power,)  and  with  one  hand  he 
seized  Phorp  by  the  neck,  and  with  the  other,  which 
a  charmed  and  destructive  one,  he  tore  out  the  brave  animal's 
heart.  This  adventure  occurred  at  a  place  near  the  Marc  h, 
between  the  parishes  of  Clyne  and  Kildonan,  still  called 
'Leek  na  Con,'  'The  stone  of  the  dogs,'  there  having  l><><-n 
placed  a  large  stone  on  the  spot  where  they  fought.  The 
ground  over  which  Fingal  and  the  Sutherland  chief  hunt'  <i 
that  day  is  called  '  Dirri-leck-Con.'  Bran  suffered  so  SOV.T.-. 
ly  in  the  fight  that  he  died  in  Glen  Loth  before  leaving  the 
forest,  and  was  buried  there.  A  huge  cairn  was  heaped  over 
him,  which  still  remains,  and  is  known  by  the  name  of 'Cairn 
Bran." 

In  a  work  published  at  Belfast,  in  the  year  1829,  entitled 
"  The  Biography  of  a  Tyrone  Family,"  there  is  a  n< 
foot  of  page  74,  narrating  the  mode  of  the  destruction  of  the 
last  wolves  in  Ireland.     That  note  I  shall  abridge  thus  : — 

In  the  mountainous  parts  of  the  county  Tyrono,  th»  in- 
habitants suffered  much  from  the  wolves,  and  gave  from  the 
public  fund,  as  much  for  the  head  of  one  of  these  animals, 
as  they  would  now  give  for  the  capture  of  a  notorious  robber  on 
the  highway.  There  lived  in  those  days  an  adventurer,  who, 
alone  and  unassisted,  made  it  his  occupation  to  destroy  those 
ravagers.  The  time  for  attacking  them  was  in  the  night, 
and  midnight  was  the  best  time  for  doing  so,  as  that 
their  wonted  time  for  leaving  thoir  lair  in  search  of  food, 
when  the  country  was  at  rest,  and  all  was  still  ;  then,  issu- 
ing forth,  they  fell  on  their  defenceless  prey,  and  the  carnage 
commenced.  There  was  a  species  of  dog  for  the  purpose  of 
hunting  them,  resembling  a  rough,  stout,  half-bred  grey- 
hound, but  much  stronger.  In  the  county  Tyrone  there  was 
then  a  large  space  of  ground  enclosed  by  a  high  stone- wall, 
having  a  gap  at  the  two  opposite  extremities,  and  in  this 
were  secured  the  flocks  of  the  surrounding  farmers.  Still, 
•ecure  though  this  fold  was  deemed,  it  was  entered  by  the 
wolves,  and  its  inmates  slaughtered.  The  neighboring  pro- 
prietors  having  heard  of  the  noted  wolf-hunter  above  men- 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG.  51 

tioned,  by  name  Rory  Carragh,  sent  for  him,  and  offered  the 
usual  reward,  with  some  addition,  if  he  would  undertake  to 
destroy  the  two  remaining  wolves  that  had  committed  such 
devastation.  Carragh,  undertaking  the  task,  took  with  him 
two  wolf-dogs,  and  a  little  boy,  the  only  person  he  could  pre- 
vail on  to  accompany  him,  and  at  the  approach  of  midnight, 
repaired  to  the  fold  in  question. 

"  Now,"  said  Carragh  to  the  boy,  "  as  the  wolves  usually 
attack  the  opposite  extremities  of  the  sheepfold  at  the  same 
time,  I  must  leave  you  and  one  of  the  dogs  to  guard  this 
one,  while  I  go  to  the  other.  He  steals  with  all  the  caution 
of  a  cat,  nor  will  you  hear  him,  but  the  dog  will,  and  will 
positively  give  him  the  first  fall ;  if  you  are  not  active,  when 
he  is  down,  to  rivet  his  neck  to  the  ground  with  this  spear, 
ho  will  rise  up  and  kill  both  you  and  the  dog." 

"  I'll  do  what  I  can,"  said  the  boy,  as  he  took  the  spear 
from  the  wolf-hunter's  hand. 

Tlio  boy  immediately  threw  open  the  gate  of  the  fold,  and 
took  his  si-iit  in  the  inner  part,  close  to  the  entrance,  his  faith- 
ful companion  crouching  at  his  side,  and  seeming  perfectly 
aware  of  the  dangerous  business  he  was  engaged  in.  The 
niijlit  was  very  dark  and  cold,  and  the  poor  little  boy  being 
benumbed  with  the  chilly  air,  was  beginning  to  fall  into 
a  kind  of  sleep,  when  at  that  instant  the  dog,  with  a  roar, 
<1  across  him,  and  laid  his  mortal  enemy  upon  the  earth. 
The  boy  was  roused  into  double  activity  by  the  voice  of  his 
companion,  and  drove  the  spear  through  the  wolf's  neck,  as 
he  had  been  directed,  at  which  time  Carragh  made  his  ap- 
pearance with  the  head  of  the  other. 

We  possess  no  accurate  information  as  to  the  date  of  the 
destruction  of  the  last  Irish  wolf.  There  was  a  present- 
ment for  killing  wolves  granted  at  Cork,  in  1710.  An  old 
gentleman,  lately  deceased,  informed  me  that  his  mother 
had  often  told  him  she  recollected  wolves  having  been  killed 
in  the  county  Wexford  so  lately  as  1740-50,  and  it  is  as- 
serted by  credible  persons,  that  a  very  old  one  was  killed 
in  the  county  Wicklow  in  1770 !  These  assertions,  how- 
ever, depending  only  on  hearsay  evidence,  are  not  implicitly 
to  be  relied  on. 

THE    HIGHLAND    DEERHOUND. 

This  dog  is,  as  I  have  shown,  the  modern  representative, 
unchanged,  save  as  to  stature,  of  the  Irish  wolf-dog. 


02  NATURAL   HISTORY   OF   THE    DOG. 

The  deerhound  presents  the  general  aspect  of  a  high-bred 
greyhound,  especially  in  all  the  points  on  which  speed  and 
power  depend  ;  but  he  is  built  more  coarsely,  and  alto^ 
on  a  larger  and  more  robust  scale.      The  shoulder  is  also 
more  elevated,  the  neck  thicker,  the  head  and  muzzle  co; 
and  the  bone  more  massive. 

The  deerhound  stands  from  twenty-eight  to  thirty  ii 
in  height  at  the  shoulder;  his  coat  is  rough,  and  the  hair 
strong  ;  color  usually  iron-gray,  sandy-yellow,  or  white  ;  //// 
colors  should  have  muzzle  and  tips  of  ears  black. 

Attempts  have  been  made  to  improve  the  deerhound  by 
crossing  him  with  other  breeds,  such  as  the  Pyrenenn  wolf- 
dog,  the  bloodhound  of  Cuba,  and  the  British  bloodhound  ; 
but  all  these  attempts  have  failed  of  their  object,  and  pro. 
duced  only  deterioration.  The  cross  with  the  Cuban  blood- 
hound has  proved  least  objectionable.  It  was  of  this  1 
that  Sir  Walter  Scott's  dog,  Maida,  bred  and  presentrd  to 
him  by  Glengarry,  sprung.  I  must  not  omit  to  mention  that 
a  tuft,  or  pencil  of  dark  hair  on  the  tip  of  the  ear,  is  like- 
wise a  proof  of  high  blood.  In  my  opinion  the  Persian  L 
hound,  or  a  very  similar  greyhound  at  present  used  in  the 
hills  of  Macedonia,*  would  be  found  a  really  valuable  cross, 
un<l  would  improve,  instead  of  deteriorating  this  valuable 
breed,  which  we  may  otherwise  expect  soon  to  degen* 
if  not  wholly  disappear,  from  the  baneful  effects  of  blind- 
ing within  too  close  consanguinity,  or,  as  it  is  called,  ••  in 
and  in.11 

Her  majesty  possesses  a  magnificent  specimen  of  d«-«-r- 
hound,  called  "Bran."  This  noble  animal  stands  over 
thirty  inches  in  height  at  the  shoulder,  and  is  supposed  to  be 
the  finest  specimen  of  the  breed  in  existence.  I  am  not  sure 
whether  Bran  was  the  gift  of  Lord  Glenlyon,  but  I  know 
that  that  nobleman  presented  her  majesty  with  some  fine 
specimens  of  this  breed. 

The  following  description  of  deer-coursing,  extracted  from 
Mr.  Scrope's  admirable  volume,  will,  I  am  confident,  be  read 
with  interest: — 

"  No  time  was  to  be  lost :  the  whole  party  immediately 
moved  forward  in  silent  and  breathless  expectation,  with  the 
dogs  in  front,  straining  in  the  slips,  and  on  our  reaching  the 
top  of  the  hillock,  we  got  a  full  view  of  the  noble  stag, 
who,  having  heard  our  footsteps,  had  sprung  to  his  legs,  and 

•  Described  p.  56. 


NATURAL   HISTORY   OF   THE   DOG.  53 

was  staring  us  full  in  the  face,  at  the  distance  of  about  sixty 
yards. 

"  The  dogs  were  slipped  ;  a  general  halloo  burst  from  the 
whole  party,  and  the  stag,  wheeling  round,  set  off  at  full 
speed,  with  Buskar  and  Bran  straining  after  him. 

"  The  brown  figure  of  the  deer,  with  his  noble  antlers  laid 
back,  contrasted  with  the  light  color  of  the  dogs  stretching 
along  the  dark  heath,  presented  one  of  the  most  exciting 
scenes  that  it  is  possible  to  imagine. 

"  The  deer's  first  attempt  was  to  gain  some  rising  ground 
to  the  left  of  the  spot  where  we  stood,  and  rather  behind  us  ; 
but  being  closely  pursued  by  the  dogs,  he  soon  found  that 
his  only  safety  was  in  speed ;  and  as  a  deer  does  not  run 
well  up  hill,  nor,  like  a  roe,  straight  down  hill,  on  the  dogs 
approaching  him  he  turned  and  almost  retraced  his  footsteps, 
taking,  however,  a  steeper  line  of  descent  than  the  one  by 
which  he  ascended.  Here  the  chase  became  most  inter- 
esting  ;  the  dogs  pressed  him  hard,  and  the  deer,  getting  con- 
fused, found  himself  suddenly  on  the  brink  of  a  small  preci- 
pice, of  about  fourteen  feet  in  height,  from  the  bottom  of 
which  there  sloped  a  rugged  mass  of  stones.  He  paused  for 
a  moment  as  if  afraid  to  take  the  leap,  but  the  dogs  were  so 
close  that  he  had  no  alternative.. 

"  At  this  time  the  party  were  not  above  150  yards  distant, 
and  most  anxiously  awaited  the  result,  fearing,  from  the  rug- 
gedness  of  the  ground  below,  that  the  deer  would  not  survive 
the  leap.  They  were,  however,  soon  relieved  from  their 
anxiety ;  for  though  he  took  the  leap,  he  did  so  more  cun- 
ningly than  gallantly,  dropping  himself  in  the  most  singular 
manner,  so  that  his  hind  legs  first  reached  the  broken  rocks 
below  :  nor  were  the  dogs  long  in  following  him  ;  Buskar 
sprang  first,  and  extraordinary  to  relate,  did  not  lose  his  legs; 
Bran  followed,  and  on  reaching  the  ground,  performed  a 
complete  somerset ;  he  soon,  however,  recovered  his  legs, 
and  the  chase  was  continued  in  an  oblique  direction  down 
the  side  of  a  most  rugged  and  rocky  brae,  the  deer  apparently 
more  fresh  and  nimble  than  ever,  jumping  through  the  rocks 
like  a  goat,  and  the  dogs  well  up,  though  occasionally  re- 
ceiving the  most  fearful  falls. 

"  From  the  high  position  in  which  we  were  placed,  the 
chase  was  visible  for  nearly  half  a  mile.  When  some 
rising  ground  intercepted  our  view,  we  made  with  all  speed 
for  a  higher  point,  and  on  reaching  it  we  could  perceive  that 
the  dogs,  having  got  upon  smooth  ground,  had  gained  on  the 

5* 


64  NATURAL   HISTOHy   OF   THE   DOG. 

deer,  who  was  still  going  at  speed,  and  were  now  cl< 
with  him.     Bran  was  then  leading,  and  in  a  few  seconds 
was  at  his  heels,  and  immediately  seized  his  hock  with  such 
violence  of  grasp,  as  seemed  in  a  great  measure  to  paralyze 
the  limb,  for  the  deer's  speed  was  immediately  checked. 

"  Buskar  was  not  far  behind,  for  soon  afterwards  passing 
Bran,  he  seized  the  deer  by  the  neck.  Notwithstanding  the 
weight  of  the  two  dogs  which  were  hanging  to  him,  h 
the  assistance  of  the  slope  of  the  ground,  he  continued 
dragging  them  along  at  a  most  extraordinary  rate,  in  de- 
fiance of  their  utmost  exertions  to  detain  him,  and  succeeded 
more  than  once  in  kicking  Bran  off.  But  he  became  at 
length  exhausted  ;  the  dogs  succeeded  in  pulling  him  down, 
and  though  he  made  several  attempts  to  rise,  he  never  com- 
pletely  regained  his  legs.  On  coming  up,  we  found  him  per- 
fectly dead." 

I  have  seen  smooth  deerhounds  in  Scotland,  but  they  were 
not  deerhounds  properly  so  called,  being  merely  a  cross  be- 
tween the  ordinary  greyhound  and  foxhound.  In  such  case 
it  is  better  that  the  greyhound  should  be  father,  as  you  will 
thus  be  more  likely  to  obtain  size  end  power,  combined  with 
swiftness.  This  is  more  particularly  to  be  attended  to  wii.  n 
it  is  the  rough  greyhound  to  which  you  resort,  for  among  all 
the  rough  greyhounds,  and  morn  especially  those  of  Ii 
and  Scotland,  there  exists  a  greater  disparity  of  size  bctu  n 
male  and  female,  than  between  the  sexes  of  any  oth< T  m«-m- 
ber  of  the  canine  family.  For  instance,  of  a  litter  of  pups — 
a  dog  shall  grow  to  the  height  of,  say,  thirty  inches — and  not 
a  female  of  the  same  litter  shall  exceed  twenty-four  inches 
in  height  at  the  shoulder.  This  is  a  very  remarkable  fact, 
and  worthy  of  attention. 

The  bloodhound  has  been  employed  as  a  cross,  but  the  pro- 
geny are  too  slow  and  heavy  for  deer  coursing,  whatever  the} 
may  be  worth  as  finders,  for  which  latter  purpose  why  not 
use  the  bloodhound  at  once,  without  resorting  to  any  cross  at 
all  ?  It  is  a  pity  that  the  deerhound  should  be  so  scarce  ;  if 
suffered  to  become  extinct,  we  may  seek  in  vain  for  any  dog 
that  shall  combine  in  his  single  person  so  many  valuable 
qualities. 

THB    SCOTTISH    GREYHOUND. 

This  is  but  a  degenerate  deerhound — a  deerhound  rendered 
inferior  in  size,  less  shaggy  in  coat,  less  ardent  and  coura- 
geous in  the  chase,  less  powerful,  and  therefore  less  service- 


NATURAL   HISTORY   OF   THE    DOG.  55 

nble  for  deer-coursing,  by  the  effects  of  breeding  too  long 
within  the  degrees  of  consanguinity,  or,  perhaps,  from  having 
Ixvii  crossed  with  some  other  breed,  most  probably  the  lurch- 
er, or  the  smooth  greyhound.  Under  these  circumstances  I 
do  not  think  any  description  of  him  necessary:  his  height  sel- 
dom exceeds  twenty-seven  inches  ;  his  color  is  usually  white, 
or  gray,  though  often  brindled. 

Tin:  LUKCHKK  is  a  mongrel,  bred  from  greyhound  and  any 
other  doiy,  usually  the  shepherd's  dog,  or  terrier  ;  though  for 
deer-stalking,  uflen  the  bloodhound  or  foxhound.  They  are 
not  creditable  followers,  being  in  greater  demand  by  poachers. 
This  dog  will  be  noticed  in  his  proper  place  as  a  mongrel. 

THE    RUSSIAN    GREYHOUND. 

The  true  Russian  greyhound  is  a  dog  of  tremendous  size 
and  power — cl  --mbling  the  Highland  dcerhound  in 

every  physic  :i  quality  ;  but  I  am  sorry  to  say,  far  inferior  to 
him  in  courage.  Two  of  these  dogs  will  not  unfrequently 
race  alongside  a  wolf  for  many  hundred  yards,  before  either 
of  them  can  make  up  his  mind  to  grapplo  with  him.  A  wolf 
is,  however,  a  vrry  formidable  customer ;  and  a  dog  might  be 
a  little  shy  of  experiencing  the  power  of  his  tusks,  while  he 
would  run  gayly  into  a  door  ;  I  therefore  think  that  the  Rus- 
sian greyhound  would  prove  a  good  cross  for  the  purpose  of 
improving  our  Highland  stock. 

The  Russian  invyhotm'!  stands  from  twenty-eight  to  thirty 
inches  at  the  shoulder.  The  Kmperor  lately  presented  a 
leash  of  these  dogs  to  her  Majesty,  which,  in  the  public  prints, 
were  stated  to  be  three  /'/v/  hi<^!i  !  It  appears,  however,  that 
this  was  intended  to  apply  to  the  height  from  the  ground  to 
the  top  of  the  head — the  height  at  the  shoulder  being  not 
much  over  thirty  inches. 

This  is  the  same  as  the  Tartarian  dog  ;  the  same  with  that 
mentioned  by  Dr.  Clarke,  as  having  been  met  with  by  him  on 
the  confines  of  Circassia  ;  and  is,  without  question,  derived 
from  the  ancient  dogs  of  Epirus  and  Albania — the  same  source 
whence  we  perhaps  obtained  our  Irish  wolf-dog.  Colonel  H. 
Smith  says  that  the  Russian  greyhound  is  "  usually  white, 
with  black  clouds  :"  judging  from  such  as  I  have  seen,  I  should 
say  that  the  color  is  usually  an  iron  or  sluty  gray :  where 
any  cloudings  appear,  I  should  suspect  a  cross  with  the  Great 
Dane  or  French  Matin. 


66  NATURAL    HISTORY    OP   THE    DO6. 


THE    PERSIAN   GREYHOUND. 

The  Persian  greyhound  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  dogs 
with  which  we  are  acquainted.  There  are  two  varieties  of 
this  dog :  one  of  a  tan  color,  with  very  light  golden-colored 
hair  upon  the  hams  and  under-surface  of  the  tail ;  the  hair  is 
very  long,  and  disposed  in  fan-like  form,  while  the  coat  upon 
the  rest  of  the  body  is  close  and  short.  This  is  a  most  pow- 
erful creature,  and  frequently  exceeds  thirty  inches  in  height 
at  the  shoulder.  The  other  variety  is  furnished  all  ov« 
body  with  long  silky  hair,  of  the  length  of  from  five  to  eight 
inches,  according  to  the  purity  of  blood,  and  the  ears  are  feath- 
ered like  those  of  a  spaniel.  This  latter  dog  seldom  exceeds 
twenty -eight  inches  in  height ;  and  is  far  less  powerful  than 
the  preceding :  his  color  usually  black,  relieved  with  tan. 

The  greyhound  of  India,  called  sometimes  the  Bringaree 
and  Polygar  Dog,  is  identical  with  the  first-mentioned  vu  • 
These  dogs  are  all  inferior  in  speed  to  our  European  grey- 
hounds, but  they  answer  very  well  for  Eastern  sport.  They 
are  usually  employed  in  hunting  the  jackal — a  sport  in  v,  hi< -h 
they  prove  very  effective.  It  not  unfrequently  happens, 
ever,  that  the  jackals  unite  in  a  body,  and  turn  on  their  as- 
sailants, in  which  case,  unless  the  sportsmen  be  well  up  wit!: 
their  dogs,  the  latter  stand  a  fair  chance  of  being  torn  to 
pieces :  hence,  too  high  a  rate  of  going  is  not  considered  as 
a  desideratum,  but  rather  the  contrary. 

The  Persian  greyhound  diners  from  all  the  varieties  of 
rough  greyhound  in  his  hair,  it  being  of  a  soft,  silky  texture, 
like  that  of  the  spaniel.  In  disposition,  the  varieties  present 
a  striking  difference — the  black  variety  being  docile  and  gen- 
tle as  the  spaniel,  which  lie  so  closely  resembles  :  the  tan  v.t- 
riety,  fierce  and  intractable,  but  yet  amenable  to  training — a 
process,  however  not  required  by  the  other. 

I  have  been  told  by  English  sportsmen,  who  have  resi- 
ded in  India,  that  the  smooth,  fan-tailed  variety  of  eastern 
greyhound,  is  a  match  for  the  Caracal  or  Persian  lynx,  and 
can  kill  that  very  formidable  animal,  single-handed ;  while 
the  other  s*nniel-like  variety  is  only  fit  for  hare-coursing ; 
and,  as  'Ihomson  says — 

"  Poor  is  the  triumph  o'er  the  timid  hare," 
and  for  that  purpose  far  inferior  to  our  own  smooth  breeds, 


NATURAL    HISTORY    O*    THE    DOG.  57 

from  a  deficiency  of  speed,  which  he  does  not  make  up  for  in 
strength  or  endurance. 

THE    GREEK    GREYHOUND 

Is  not  unlike  the  Lurcher ;  but  its  hair,  :hough  ong,  is 
soft  and  not  wiry. 

THE    ARABIAN    GREYHOUND. 

This  dog  is  called  by  some  naturalists  the  Bedouin  grey- 
hound, and  by  others  the  greyhound  of  Akaba.  He  is  large 
and  fierce  ;  is  furnished  with  a  short  coat,  save  on  the  tail, 
which  is  very  bushy ;  his  ears  stand  perfectly  erect ;  color 
usually  bluish-gray,  but  often  brown,  and  not  unfrequently 
white,  with  yellow  cloudings.  This  dog  bears  a  close  re- 
semblance  to  the  wild  dog  of  Egypt,  named  by  Colonel 
Smith,  Thous  Anthus  ;  and  is  the  same  to  be  frequently  found 
figured  on  various  Egyptian  monuments. 

Some  naturalists  have  asserted  the  Arabian  greyhound  to 
be  the  primitive  dog — the  original  stock  whence  the  whole 
canine  family  sprung.  That  a  greyhound  was  the  primitive 
dog,  I  have  no  doubt ;  but  it  must  have  been  a  pure  one, 
which  that  of  Arabia  evidently  is  not. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE    GREYHOUNDS. 

SUBDIVISION    B. 

THE  SMOOTH  GREYHOUNDS THE  COMMON  BRITISH  GREYHOUND. 

THE  common  greyhound  is  the  most  elegantly  formed, 
and  most  graceful  of  the  canine  race,  and  surpasses,  also,  all 
his  brethren  in  speed.  He  is  evidently,  however,  a  factitious 
dog,  produced  by  care,  and,  perhaps,  crossing,  from  his  rough 
original. 

In  height,  the  greyhound  stands  from  twenty-six  to  twenty- 
eight  inches  at  the  shoulder,  and  the  female  does  not  present 
that  very  striking  disparity  of  size,  so  remarkable  in  the 
deerhound.  This  fact  alone  is  sufficient  to  warrant  the  sup- 
position, that  the  smooth  greyhound  owes  something  to  the 


58  NATURAL   HISTORY   OF   THE   DOG. 

effect  of  cross-breeding.  In  disposition,  the  greyhound  is 
gentle  and  affectionate ;  indeed  he,  perhaps,  exhibits  the  lat- 
ter quality  too  indiscriminately. 

The  greyhound  was  brought  to  the  highest  state  of  per- 
fection  by  Lord  Orford  and  Major  Topham.  Those 
brated  sportsmen  owed  their  unparalleled  success  to  the  in- 
troduction of  a  cross  with  the  bull-dog,  and  though  the  two 
dogs  may  appear  very  different  from  each  other  at  first 
view,  a  very  little  re/lection  will  show,  that  from  the  bull- 
dog, the  greyhound  could  derive  all  the  wished-for  < 
lence — courage,  small  ear,  whip-tail,  large  and  deep  chest, 
and  general  firmness  of  muscle.  On  the  other  hand,  speed 
was  found  to  be  recovered  undiminished,  while  all  the  above 
points  were  retained,  at  the  seventh  remove  from  the  bull- 

SNOWBALL,  perhaps  the  fastest  dog  that  ever  ran,  came  of 
this  stock;  he  won  four  cups,  and  thirty-two  or  thirty-three 
matches,  at  Max  ton,  and  on  the  Yorkshire  wolds. 

"  Ah,  gallant  Snowball !  what  remain*, 
Up  Fordon's  banks,  o'er  Flixtou's  plain*, 
Of  all  thy  strength — thy  rinewy  force, 
Which  rather  flew  than  ran  the  coone  7 
Ah  !  what  remain*?  save  that  thy  breed 
May  to  their  father's  fame  succeed  ; 
And  when  the  prize  appears  in  view, 
May  prove  that  they  are  Snowballs  too/' 

Many  trials  of  speed  to  ascertain  the  comparative  powers 
of  the  horse  and  greyhound  have  been  instituted.  It  appears 
from  these,  that  on  a  flat  course,  a  first-rate  racer  will  beat  a 
greyhound,  but  that  in  a  hilly  country  he  must  succumb  to 
him. 

The  greyhound  has  been  sometimes  crossed,  and  that  to 
much  advantage,  with  the  rough  Scotch  breeds.  The  cele- 
brated Gilbertfield,  who  beat  all  that  ever  he  encountered 
thus  bred :  Gilbertfield  excited  so  much  attention  in  his  day, 
that  I  think  the  following  account  of  him  will  prove  interest- 
ing, and  may  also  prove  serviceable  to  our  Irish  breeders : — 

"  The  reiterated  success  of  this  old  dog  (Gilbertfield)  may 
well  excite  a  smile  at  those  who  would  talk  or  write  him  down 
as  a  third-rate,  or  stigmatize  him  as  a  lurcher !  If  he  be  a 
third-rate,  the  march  of  intellect  among  the  knights  of  the 
long  tails  must  verily  be  retrograde  ;  and  if  he  be,  indeed,  a 
lurcher,  it  becomes  necessary  to  know,  by  what  name  are  to 
be  called  the  ninety  unsuccessful  competitors  for  the  Glasgow 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG.  59 

Gold  Cup.  Perhaps,  after  all,  it  will  turn  out  that  these 
seeming  detractions  are  but  a  cunning  device  of  the  friends 
of  Gilbertficld,  intended  to  impress  the  public  witli  the  idea, 
that  the  achievement  of  a  reputation,  greater  than  that  of  any 
other  dog  in  the  United  Kingdom,  is  but  a  small  part  of  his 
victory,  and  that  the  greater  part  is  the  accomplishment  of  an 
absolute  change  in  language,  so  that  henceforth,  the  word 
lurcher  is  to  designate  superiority,  instead  of,  as  heretofore, 
inferiority  of  blood ;  and  the  word  third-rate,  to  apply  to  the 
ascending  scale  in  degrees  of  comparison,  or  in  other  words, 
to  denote  the  superlative  drgree  of  excellence.  But  be  this 
a»  it  may,  we  are  happy  in  being  enabled  to  be  the  first  to 
publish  the  pedigree  of  Gilbertfield,  supplied  us  at  our  request 
by  his  owner.  We  give  only  three  generations,  both  because 
these  carry  us  to  the  common  ancestors  of  his  sire  and  dam, 
and  because  the  ancestors  of  Bluehrr  and  Tickler  never  ran 
in  public.  Gilbertfield  (brindled  and  rough)  was  pupped  in 
Juno,  1831  ;  and  is  first,  by  Giraffe  (brindled  and  smooth) 
out  of  Venus,  (yellow  and  rough.) 

"  Second,  Giraffe  was  by  Capilly  (brindled  and  smooth,  bro- 
ther to  Oscar)  out  of  Puzzle,  (brown  and  smooth,  sister  to  Mr. 
E rum's  well-known  Charles  James  Fox.)  Venus,  by  Mr. 
Hamilton,  of  Greenbank's,  Alfred  (white  and  red,  and  smooth, 
siro  of  Captain,  May,  Serpent,  Pomni,  Lady  Mary,  &c.)  out 
of  Marion,  (brindled  and  rough,  sister  to  Capilly,  Oscar,  Or- 
lando Furioso,  and  Burr.)  Third,  Capilly  and  Marion  were 
by  Blucher  (black  and  smooth)  out  of  Sir  William  Maxwell, 
of  Calderwood's  Tickler,  (white  and  rough.)  This  pedigree 
runs  counter  to  many  of  the  pet  theories  of  breeding,  which 
would  seem  to  be  the  mere  *  idols  of  the  kennel,'  as  Lord 
Bacon  would  have  styled  them,  rather  than  the  conclusions 
of  reason,  or  the  result  of  experiments. 

*'  Bred  from  first  cousins,  and  sprung  from  three  successive 
crosses  betwixt  the  smooth  and  the  rough,  Gilbertfield,  him- 
self rough,  is  a  great  public  winner,  notwithstanding,  it  is 
said,  that  breeding  in  destroys  spirit,  and  that  every  cross 
after  the  first,  betwixt  the  smooth  and  rough,  more  and  more 
banishes  the  good  qualities  of  the  greyhound. 

"  Opinion,  or  rather  caprice,  even  among  those  friendly  to 
one  cross  with  the  rough,  is  diverse  as  to  which  parent  should 
be  rough.  It  so  happens,  that  in  this  pedigree  the  dams  were 
the  rough.  But  this  cannot  be  held  to  establish  much,  when 
it  is  remembered  that  Gilbertfield's  own  progeny,  out  of  a 
gmooth  bitch,  (Black-Eyed  Susan,)  have  distinguished  them 


60  NATURAL   HISTORY   OP   THE    DOG. 

selves  more  than  any  other  puppies  of  this  season,  part  of  whicn 
are  thoroughly  smooth,  and  part  thoroughly  rough.  The  run- 
ning of  him  and  his  lurcher  race,  equally  confute  two  opposite 
sayings :  the  one,  that  rough  dogs  are  not  fast,  but  last  long ; 
the  other,  that  they  can  get  out  of  the  slips,  but  want  b<> 
First,  Lord  Eglinton's  Major  is  the  only  dog  he  meets  which 
makes  Gilbertfield  look  not  singularly  fast  up  to  his 
Second,  the  race  with  Dusty  Miller,  on  the  last  day  of  the  gold 
cup  running,  put  an  end  to  all  skepticism  as  to  Gilbertfield's 
bottom.  The  performances  of  his  ancestors,  Oscar,  Capilly, 
and  Charles  James  Pox,  in  the  Lanarkshire  and  Renfrewshire 
Club,  and  of  Orlando  Purioso,  Burr,  and  GiralFe,  in  East  Lo- 
thian— his  own  success,  during  four  seasons,  in  every  club  to 
which  he  belongs,  viz.,  the  Ardrossan,  Biggar,  Clydesdale, 
Dirleton,  and  the  Lanarkshire  and  Renfrewshire,  (being  rough, 
he  is  excluded  from  running  at  Winchburg,)  and  his  triumph 
at  Eaglesham — and  the  commenced  career  of  his  oflspring, 
viz.,  Ocean,  Goth,  Vandal,  Capilly,  Harp,  Guitar,  and  Lilly, 
(one  litter,)  supply  the  best  of  all  evidence,  that  Gilbertfield 
not  only  inherits,  but  can  transmit  winning  blood — the  great 
aim,  it  is  to  be  presumed,  of  every  sagaciom  bitadcr  of  grey- 
hounds." — KUmarnock  Journal,  1938. 


TIIE   ITALIAN   GREYHOUND. 

The  Italian  greyhound  is,  as  might  be  supposed,  t  native 
of  the  country  whence  it  derives  its  name ;  it  is  a  very  small, 
delicate  creature,  being  a  miniature  portrait  of  a  high-bred 
greyhound  of  the  very  first  class ;  and  it  has  been  occasionally 
resorted  to  as  a  cross,  to  give  greater  fineness  of  form  and  coat 
to  a  coarse  stock  of  the  ordinary  greyhound.  The  Italian 
greyhound  is  very  fleet,  but  is,  of  course,  too  feeble  to  be  of 
any  service  in  coursing,  as  he  could  not  hold  a  hare,  if  even 
he  succeeded  in  overtaxing  her. 

I  have  known  some,  however,  less  diminutive  than  usual, 
employed  successfully  in  coursing  rabbits.  They  are  ex. 
tremely  eager  and  vivacious,  full  of  life  and  spirit,  and  make 
most  engaging  p-rts.  The  Italian  greyhound,  from  beinj?  in 
such  esteem  wit'  the  fair  sex,  fetches  a  high  price — from  live 
to  ten  guineas  being  regarded  as  by  no  means  unusual,  if  the 
animal  be  a  highly  bred  and  handsome  specimen. 

Mr.  Nolan,  of  Bachelor's- walk,  Dublin,  has  some  of  the 
finest  I  have  ever  seen,  and  also,  I  think,  the  smallest  grey- 
hound in  the  world — a  dog,  now  very  old,  not  exceeding  nine 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG.  6i 

inches  in  height.  This  diminutive  creature  is  beginning  to 
exhibit  the  moral,  as  well  as  the  physical  infirmities  of  age ; 
ne  is  very  testy  and  irritable,  and  appears  to  think  himself  as 
well  entitled  to  respect  from  his  canine  comrades,  and  as  well 
able  to  command  it  when  necessary,  as  the  largest  amongst 
them ;  his  seems,  indeed,  "  a  vast  soul  in  a  little  carcass." 


THE    TURKISH    GREYHOUND. 

There  are  two  varieties  of  this  dog,  both  equally  destitute 
of  hair,  but  one  being  more  decidedly  a  greyhound,  and  of 
superior  stature  to  the  other.  Color,  usually  a  leaden  or 
dusky  purple  ;  stature  of  the  former  breed,  about  twenty,  and 
the  latter  about  twelve  inches. 

Colonel  Smith  considers  this  to  be  the  same  with  the  naked 
dog  of  Mexico,  and  the  God-dog,  formerly  worshipped  as  a 
deity  by  the  Xauxa  and  Huanca  Indians.  This  dog  is  very 
apt  to  want  the  posterior  molar  teeth,  or  grinders,  at  the  back 
of  the  lower  jaw,  and  sometimes  the  upper. 

Colonel  Smith  suggests,  that  the  absence  of  hair  may  be 
caused  by  chronic  mange.  I  think  this  very  improbable,  and 
that  it  is  far  more  likely  to  be  the  result  of  a  burning  sun,  in 
a  very  dry  atmosphere. 

THE    TIGER    HOUND    OF    SOUTH    AMERICA. 

This  is  a  tall,  showy  dog,  resembling  the  greyhound  close- 
ly, but  somewhat  more  robustly  formed.  Color  usually  a 
slaty-blue  ground,  with  tan  and  brown  clouds,  resembling  the 
markings  of  the  Great  Dane.  It  is,  of  course,  improperly 
styled  "  Tiger"  hound,  as  there  is  no  tiger  in  America — that 
name  being  given  by  the  natives  to  the  Jaguar,  an  animal 
almost  equally  dangerous  and  powerful  with  his  Asiatic 
congener. 

The  Tiger  hound  is  not  courageous,  activity  being  more 
called  for  than  courage — the  latter  quality,  indeed,  being 
calculated  to  lead  the  dogs  into  unnecessary  danger.  He 
usually  reaches  twenty-eight  or  twenty-nine  inches  in  height 
at  the  shoulder.  This  dog  has  not  unfrequently  been  brought 
to  Britain,  and  passed  off  as  the  Spanish  bloodhound — a  dog 
which  he  closely  resembles  in  form,  s#ve  tha  the  is  more  like  a 
greyhound. 

6 


62  NATURAL   HISTORY   OF    THE   DOG. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

1  us  SECOND  CLASS  of  domestic  dogs  may  be  most  aptly 
represented  by  the  HOUNDS  ;  but,  from  what  I  have  already 
said  in  my  introductory  remarks,  it  will  readily  be  perceived 
that  not  only  does  this  class  present  less  appearance  of  origin- 
ality than  either  of  the  others,  but  also  that  its  members  will 
require  greater  subdivision,  in  proportion  as  they,  in  thrir 
characters,  approach  more  or  less  to  the  first  or  third  classes, 
viz.,  to  those  of  greyhounds  or  mastiffs.  Hounds,  projx- 
called,  and  more  properly  the  true  type  of  this  class,  must  be 
treated  of  separately. 

Among  the  most  striking  members  of  the  first  doubtful  por- 
tion of  this  second  class  of  dogs,  or  those  that  approx 
most  nearly  to  the  greyhound  family — while  they  are,  at  tho 
same  time,  by  no  means  true  greyhounds — I  may  enumerate 

The  Great  Danish  Dog,  type  of  this  group ; 

The  Spanish  Bloodhom,  i  ; 

The  African  Bloodhound  ; 

The  French  Matin ; 

The  Feral  Dog  of  St.  Domingo ; 

The  Cattle  Dog  of  Cuba ; 

The  Pariah,  or  Indian  Street  Dog  ; 

The  Mexican  Dog,  or  Taygote ; 

The  Wolf.Dog  of  Florida. 

THE   GREAT   DANE.* 

This  is  a  dog  of  gigantic  stature  ;  he  is,  indeed,  perhaps, 
one  of  the  very  largest  dogs  with  which  we  are  at  presen* 
acquainted,  standing  from  thirty  to  thirty-two  inches  in 
height  at  the  shoulder,  or  even  more.  In  form,  the  Dane  is 
very  powerful,  but  yet  graceful  ;  his  head  is  elongated,  but 
the  muzzle  does  not  taper  to  a  point — it  is,  on  the  contrary, 
somewhat  truncated,  looking  as  if  it  had  been  originally  in- 
tended to  be  longer,  but  had  been  abruptly  cut  short  within 
an  inch  of  what  should  have  been  the  muzzle.  The  coat  of 
the  Dane  is  close  and  short,  and  its  color,  although  oc- 

*  I  may  remind  ray  readers  that  this  dog  has  also  been  set  forward  ac 
the  Irish  Wolf-dog. 


NATURAL   HISTORY    OF   THE   DOG.  63 

casionally  fulvous  or  yellow,  is  more  frequently  a  bluish, 
slaty  white,  marked  with  spots,  or  rather  blotches,  of  brown 
and  black.  The  ears  of  the  Dane  are  short,  and  droop,  but 


very  slightly.  I  never  yet  saw  an  imported  specimen  that 
had  not  the  ears  cropped  off*  close  to  the  skull.  In  its  native 
country  the  Dane  is  employed  chiefly  in  boar-hunting  ;  it 
was  also  formerly  used  in  the  chase  of  the  elk.  It  is  not  im- 
probable that  the  Danes  brought  this  dog  with  them  to  Ireland 
when  they  invaded  that  country,  and  that  it  was  employed 
as  an  auxiliary  in  wolf-hunting.  Once  the  matter  came  to  a 
regular  grapple,  few  dogs  could  have  proved  more  servicea- 
ble ;  and  few  could  have  afforded  a  better  cross  with  our 
own  ancient  wolf-dog.  That  such  crossing  did  actually  take 
place,  is  more  than  probable ;  and  hence  the  many  miscon- 
ceptions that  have  since  arisen  relative  to  the  real  characters 
of  our  genuine  Irish  wolf-dog.  Hamilton  Rowan  had  some 
very  fair  specimens ;  so  had  Lord  Altamont — also  Lord 
O'Neil ;  but  by  far  the  finest  I  ever  had  the  good  fortune  to 
see,  was  "  Hector,"  the  property  of  his  Grace  the  Duke  of 
Buccleuch,  still  living,  about  ten  years  ago,  at  Dalkeith 
palace.*  Hector  stood  a  trifle  more  than  thirty-two  inches 
in  height  at  the  shoulder ;  notwithstanding  that  when  I 

*  Since  dead,  and  preserved  by  Mr.  Carfrae  of  Edinburgh. 


64  NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG. 

measured  him  he  was  close  upon  his  twentieth  year,  and 
consequently  much  drooped.  I  had  the  honor  of  receiving 
an  interesting  communication  from  the  duke  respecting  him, 
in  which  his  grace  stated,  that  Hector  had  been  purchased 
by  his  brother,  Lord  John  Scott,  from  a  student  at  Dresden, 
and  that  the  breed  were  called,  in  Germany  and  Saxony, 
"  boar-dogs."  His  grace  also  informed  me  that  Hector  waa 
the  tallest  dog  he  had  ever  seen. 

Hector  was  very  good-natured,  and  far  from  being  quarrel. 
some.  He  frequently  took  a  walk  into  the  little  town  of  Dal- 
keith,  on  which  occasions  he  was  often  followed  by  the  >• 
dogs,  and  they  would  sometimes  even  venture  upon  an  at- 
tack. Until  an  absolute  aggression  was  made,  however, 
Hector  contented  himself  with  proceeding  on  his  way  in 
dignified  contempt ;  but  if  a  Newfoundland,  mastiff,  or  other 
dog  at  all  approaching  to  his  own  size,  dared  to  meddle  with 
him,  he  would  "turn  him  up"  in  a  twinkling,  and,  raising 
his  hind  leg,  treat  him  with  the  strongest  mark  of  canine 
contumely. 

I  had  a  son  of  Hector's,  not,  however,  true  bred,  but  pro- 
duced from  a  South  American  dam,  of  the  so-called  tiger- 
hound  breed.  "Lincoln"  was  his  name.  This  was,  with- 
out exception,  the  best  dog  I  ever  knew.  In  attachment  and 
sagacity  he  more  than  equalled  the  spaniel,  and  his  courage 
was  of  the  most  indomitable  kind.  Often  have  I  seen  him 
fn.m  my  window  engaged  in  conflict  with  two  or  three  large 
Newfoundland  dogs  resident  in  the  neighborhood,  and  have 
rushed  to  the  rescue,  but  have  as  often  found  him  victorious 
ere  I  could  interfere.  Lincoln's  only  fault  was  a  propensity 
to  kill  cats  ;  and  of  this  he  was  eventually  cured,  by  one  of 
those  animals,  at  whom  he  rushed  with  open  mouth,  mis- 
taking his  fury  for  play,  and  rubbing  herself,  purring,  against 
the  very  jaws  that  were  open  to  crush  her. 

I  must  here  record  an  instance  of  this  noble  dog's  sagacity. 
I  was  in  the  habit  of  bathing  every  morning  at  the  extremity 
of  the  chain  pier  of  Newhaven,  about  the  distance  of  a  mile 
from  where  I  dwelt.  At  this  time  I  was  a  student  of  medi- 
cine, and,  during  the  summer  months,  attended  the  Botanical 
lectures  of  Dr.  Graham,  delivered  in  the  Botanic  Garden, 
Inverleith-row,  on  my  way  home  from  the  sea,  and  very 
near  the  house  of  my  respected  and  kind  stepfather,  Dr. 
Cheyne.  I  used  to  take  Lincoln  with  mo  on  those  occasions, 
and,  on  my  return,  used  to  dismiss  him  at  the  garden  gate, 
and  go  in  to  lecture.  On  one  occasion  I  recollected,  wheD 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG.  65 

about  half  way  home,  that  I  had  forgotten  my  towel,  in  the 
shed  appropriated  to  the  accommodation  of  bathers  at  the  pier 
end.  More  in  jest  than  earnest,  I  turned  to  the  dog,  and  said, 
showing  my  empty  hands,  "  Lincoln,  I  have  lost  my  towel, 
go  and  seek  it."  To  my  surprise,  the  sagacious  creature, 
after  looking  for  an  instant,  first  at  my  empty  hands,  and 
then  at  the  towel  of  my  companion,  turned  and  set  off  at  a 
rapid  pace  back  towards  Newhaven.  At  the  moment  I 
thought  but  little  of  the  matter ;  for  I  concluded  that  the 
dog  would  retrace  his  steps  for  a  short  distance,  and  then  re- 
turn ;  but  he  had  not  reappeared  when  I  reached  the  gate  of 
the  Botanic  Garden :  so  I  entered,  and,  as  usual,  heard 
lecture  ;  but  what  was  my  astonishment  when,  lecture  being 
over,  I  left  the  gardens,  and  found  the  faithful  and  intelligent 
animal  waiting  for  me,  with  my  missing  towel  in  his  mouth. 
Colonel  H.  Smith  (Nat.  Lib.  Mam.,  vol.  x.)  describes  the 
boar-dog  as  an  allied  breed  to  the  Dane,  yet  not  altogether 
identical  with  him,  and  speaks  of  one  that  stood  "  little  less 
than  four  feet  high  at  the  shoulder."  It  was  doubtless  so  re- 
puted ;  but  Colonel  Smith  did  not  himself  either  see  or 
measure  the  dog  in  question.  I  doubt  not  but  that  the  ani- 
mal was  very  tall,  but  I  most  strenuously  deny  any  dog 
being  as  large  as  a  horse.  I  am  also  disposed  to  the  belief 
that  the  smooth  Dane  is  the  true  dog,  and  his  rough  brother 
a  cross.  Colonel  Smith  also  styles  the  boar-dog  the  "  Suliot 
dog."  Now  Suli  is  a  very  limited  district  of  Albania,  oc- 
cupying scarcely  six  hundred  square  miles  in  extent,  and 
lying  south,  whereas  these  dogs  are  natives  chiefly  of  the 
regions  north  of  the  Balkan.  I  think  that  Colonel  Smith  has 
been  led  into  this  misnomer  from  a  hasty  view  of  Gmelin's 
Latin  designation  of  the  great  Dane,  Cants  Suillus,  derived 
evidently  from  the  employment  to  which  the  dogs  were  de- 
voted, viz.,  hunting  the  sus  or  hog,  and  not  from  the  locality 
where  they  were  bred.  In  the  older  paintings,  the  boar-dogs 
are  evidently  of  the  great  Danish  stock,  with  a  dash  of  the 
great  rough  greyhound  ;  and  probably  such  were  many  of 
our  later  Irish  wolf-hounds,  after  the  original  breed  had 
grown  somewhat  scarce. 


THE    SPANISH    BLOODHOUND. 

This  is  the  dog  rendered  so  infamous  by  its  employment  in 
the  chase  of  runaway  negro  slaves  in  South  America  and 
the  Spanish  West  Indian  Islands. 

6* 


60  NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG. 

In  form  it  is  intermediate  between  the  mastiff  and  the 
gieyhound,  but  approximates  more  closely  to  the  latter  than 
to  the  former.  Its  color  is  usually  tan  or  liver  color  ;  when 
pied,  the  purity  of  the  breed  is  susceptible  of  doubt ;  the 
coat  is  extremely  fine ;  the  ears  are  semi-erect ;  when  the 
animal  is  excited,  they  are  pricked  somewhat  forward ; 
the  muzzle  and  tips  of  the  ears  are  dark  ;  the  tail  is  fine  as 
a  rush. 

The  Spanish  bloodhound  stands  from  twenty-six  to  twenty- 
eight  inches  in  height  at  the  shoulder — seldom  more,  and 
often  less.  Columbus,  when  he  invaded  America,  numbered 
a  staff  of  twenty  bloodhounds  as  part  of  his  army.  More 
tly,  in  1795,  a  hundred  of  these  fierce  dogs  were  sent 
to  Jamaica  from  the  Havana,  to  be  employed  in  the  Maroon 
war.  Dallas,  in  his  «*  History  of  the  Maroons,"  tells  us  that 
General  Wai  pole  ordered  a  review  of  these  dogs  and  their 
chasseurs,  or  k-  •  j»  MJ  principally  colored  Spaniards,  that  he 
rui<r|it  observe  their  conduct;  and  accordingly  proceeded  to 
a  place  called  Seven  Rivers,  accompanied  by  Colooe]  Skin- 
ner, who  was  appointed  to  conduct  the  attack.  "  Notice  of 
his  coming  having  preceded  him,  a  parade  of  the  chasseurs 
was  ordered,  and  they  were  taken  to  a  distance  from  the 
house,  in  order  to  be  advanced  when  the  guard  alighted. 
On  his  arrival,  the  commissioner,  (who  had  procured  the 
»  having  paid  his  respects,  was  desired  to  parade  them. 
Tin  Spaniards  soon  appeared  at  the  end  of  a  gentle  ac- 
clivity, drawn  out  in  a  line,  containing  upwards  of  forty 
men,  with  their  dogs  in  front,  unmuzzled,  and  held  by  cotton 
ropes.  On  receiving  the  command,  'Jire,'  they  discharged 
th»-ir  fusees,  and  advanced  as  upon  a  real  attack.  This  was 
intended  to  ascertain  what  effect  would  be  produced  on  the 
dogs,  if  engaged  under  a  fire  of  the  Maroons.  The  volley 
was  no  sooner  discharged  than  the  dogs  rushed  forward  with 
the  greatest  fury,  amidst  the  shouts  of  the  Spaniards,  who 
were  dragged  on  by  them  with  irresistible  force.  Some  of 
the  dogs,  maddened  by  the  shout  of  attack  while  held  back 
by  the  ropes,  seized  on  the  stocks  of  the  guns  in  the  hands 
of  their  keepers,  and  tore  pieces  out  of  them.  Their  im- 
petuosity was  so  great  that  they  were  with  difficulty  stopped 
before  they  reached  the  general,  who  found  it  necessary  to 
get  into  the  chaise  from  which  he  had  alighted,  and  if  the 
most  strenuous  exertions  had  not  been  made,  they  would 
have  seized  upon  his  horses."  Some  writers  on  the  dog 
have  confounded  the  Spanish  bloodhound  with  the  Cuban 


NATURAL   HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG.  67 

mastiff;  a  very  great  error,  as  no  two  dogs  could  well  be 
more  dissimilar  ;  and  in  one  publication,  by  Mr.  Martin,  en- 
titled  "  Knight's  Weekly  Volume,"  we  have  actually  a  figure 
given  of  the  Cuban  mastiffs  some  time  since  kept  in  the 
tower  menagerie,  taken  from  the  "  Menageries,"  a  publica- 
tion under  the  patronage  of  the  "  Society  for  Promoting 
Entertaining  Knowledge,"  but  with  the  new  title  of  "  Cuban 
Bloodhounds  or  Mastiffs."  Naturalists  who  make  such  mis- 
takes  must  be  satisfied  to  submit  to  the  friendly  correction  of 
dog-fanciers.  I  saw  a  few  years  ago  a  beautiful  bitch  of  this 
breed  in  possession  of  our  Surgeon-General,  Sir  Philip  Cramp 
ton.  She  was  light-colored,  evidently  very  highly  bred,  of  most 
graceful  form,  and  gentle  in  her  demeanor,  but  by  no  means 
to  be  trifled  with.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that,  no  thorough- 
bred mate  being  to  be  had,  her  progeny  have  not  been  pre- 
served pure. 

Closely  allied  to  the  Spanish  bloodhound  is  the  AFRICAN 
HOUND,  a  graceful  and  beautiful  creature,  partaking  also,  to 
a  great  extent,  of  the  shape  and  aspect  of  the  pointer.  A 
leash  of  these,  two  males  and  one  female,  were  brought  over 
some  years  ago  by  Colonel  (then  major)  Denham,  and  by 
him  presented  to  the  then  existing  Tower  Menagerie.  The 
colonel  stated  to  the  care-taker,  Mr.  Cops,  that  he  had  himself 
often  hunted  the  ga/elle  with  them  ;  and  that  they  were  pos- 
sessed of  extraordinary  swiftness,  scent,  and  cunning.  These 
dogs  were  also,  at  one  period,  used,  as  other  bloodhounds,  in 
tracking  a  fugitive  enemy  or  marauder  to  his  retreat.  Co- 
lonel Denham's  hounds  appeared  quite  subdued  in  confine- 
ment ;  they  had  lost  all  their  natural  fire  and  sprightliness, 
had  gradually  become  morose,  sullen,  and  spiteful,  and  no 
efforts  could  induce  them  to  perpetuate  their  race. 

Neither  of  these  dogs  are,  however,  properly  entitled  to  the 
ephhet  of  bloodhound  ;  they  appear  to  have  acquired  it  .only 
from  their  employment,  and  probably  owe  their  origin  to  a 
cross  at  some  remote  period  between  the  true,  long-eared 
bloodhound  of  Britain  and  the  more  eager  and  active  grey- 
hound. I  am  the  more  confirmed  in  this  opinion  from  the 
fact,  that  both  these  dogs  closely  resemble  the  cross-bred 
deerhound,  sometimes  used  in  the  Highlands  of  Scotland, 
where  that  animal  is  thus  bred.  It  is  only  fair  that  that  gentle 
and  affectionate  animal — the  genuine  bloodhound — a  dog  far 
from  being  either  cruel  or  ferocious,  should  be  distinctly  sep 
arated  from  these,  his  disreputable  namesakes. 


89  NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG. 


THE    FRENCH    MATIN. 

Many  contradictory  descriptions  of  this  dog  are  given  by 
naturalists,  some  of  whom  describe  him  as  a  smooth  dog,  sim- 
ilar to  the  Dane  ;  others  as  a  rough  and  lurcher-like  mongrel. 
Button,  the  first  who  brought  the  matin  into  anything  like  no- 
tice, describes  and  figures  him  (quarto  ed.)  as  a  sort  of  rough- 
coated  greyhound,  of  only  moderate  stature,  and  not  remark- 
able for  any  physical  or  moral  quality.  Mr.  Martin  describes 
a  matin*  which  he  saw  in  Paris  as  a  smooth-coated,  glaucous- 
colored  dog,  standing  three  feet  high,  and  as  reminding  him 
of  the  vast  stature  and  beauty  which  characterized  the  Irish 
wolf-dog. 

Colonel  Hamilton  Smith  (Nat.  Lib.  Mam.  vol.  x.)  describes 
this  dog  as  equalling  the  Dane  in  stature,  but  having  a  flatter 
forehead,  a  more  pointed  nose,  rugged  hair,  color  usually  white, 
with  one  or  more  clouds  of  brown  ;  "  the  ears,  also,  are  more 
triangular,  and  the  tips  bent  down,  showing  upon  the  whole  a 
certain  intermixture  of  the  older  Gallic  dog.  It  is  fierce,  but 
not  remarkable  for  daring."  Against  this  description  I  have 
nothing  to  object,  except  as  to  stature.  The  great  Dane,  usu- 
ally, as  I  have  already  stated,  exceeds  thirty  inches  in  height 
at  the  shoulder,  and  I  do  not  think  anybody  ever  saw  a  ma- 
tin that  stood  over  twenty-eight:  indeed,  I  should  say  that 
twenty-six  inches  is  about  the  average  height.  BufFon,  with 
perhaps  pardonable  nationality,  but  in  the  absence  of  both 
sound  reasoning  and  common  sense,  has  put  forward  the 
matin  as  the  origin  of  the  dog,  and,  in  his  very  fanciful  gene- 
alogy, derives  many  noble  and  valuable  breeds  immediately 
from  him. 

THE    FERAL    DOG    OF    ST.    DOMINGO. 

This  dog  is  fully  described  by  Colonel  Smith,  who  also 
gives  a  figure  of  him.  It  appears  to  be  a  sort  of  wild  hound, 
approaching  closely  to  the  form  of  the  greyhound,  but  some- 
what coarser,  and  to  be  the  descendant  of  the  bloodhounds 
formerly  used  by  the  Spaniards,  to  effect  their  conquests  in 
the  western  hemisphere.  In  stature,  Colonel  Smith  describes 
this  dog  as  "  at  least  equal  to  the  largest  Scottish  or  Russian 
greyhound,  or  about  twenty-eight  inches  high  at  the  shoulder, 

*  I  think  that  the  fine  animal  which  attracted  Mr.  Martin's  notice 
saust  have  been  the  Great  Dane. 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG.  69 

with  the  head  shaped  like  the  wire-haired  terrier  ;  large  light- 
brown  eyes  ;  small  ears,  pointed  and  only  slightly  bent  down 
at  the  tips  ;  the  neck  long  and  full ;  the  chest  very  deep ; 
the  croup  slightly  arched  ;  the  limbs  muscular,  but  light  ; 
and  the  tail,  not  reaching  to  the  tarsus,  scantily  furnished 
with  long  dark  hair ;  the  muzzle  was  black,  as  well  as  the  eye- 
lids, lips,  and  the  whole  hide  ;  but  his  color  was  a  uniform  pale- 
blue  ash,  the  hair  being  short,  scanty,  coarse,  and  apparently 
without  a  woolly  fur  beneath.  On  the  lips,  inside  of  the  ears, 
and  above  the  eyes,  there  was  some  whitish  gray ;  and  the 
back  of  the  ears  was  dark  slate-color.  The  look  and  motions 
of  this  animal  at  once  told  consciousness  of  superiority.  As 
he  passed  down  the  streets,  all  the  house  curs  slunk  away. 
When  within  our  lodging  the  family  dog  had  disappeared,  al- 
though he  had  neither  growled  nor  barked.  His  master  said 
he  was  inoffensive,  but  requested  he  might  not  be  touched." 
These  seem  to  be  the  St.  Domingo  greyhounds  mentioned 
by  Buffon. 

THE    CATTLE-DOG    OF    CUBA. 

I  describe  this  animal  here — although  his  place  is,  perhaps, 
more  properly  with  the  Newfoundland  races — because  he 
appears  to  be  an  offshoot  from  the  variety  I  have  just  been 
describing,  and  is  frequently  improperly  called  the  Cuba 
bloodhound. 

The  head  of  this  dog  is  coarser,  broader  at  the  temples, 
and  does  not  taper  so  much  at  the  muzzle  as  that  of  the  pre- 
ceding variety  ;  the  back  is  natter  :  the  hair  longer  and 
coarser  ;  and  the  dog  altogether  further  removed  from  the 
greyhound.  This  dog  sometimes  attains  great  size.  I  had 
one,  whose  measurements  I  shall  give  as  follow  : — 

Ft.  In. 

From  the  top  of  head  to  ground  .         .36 

Height  from  ground  to  foreshoulder    .         .28 
Length  from  nose  to  tail  .          .         .61 

Girth  round  chest  behind  foreleg         .         .34 

Girth  of  foreleg 0  10 

Length  from  occiput  to  muzzle  .          .          .12 
Girth  of  head  over  the  ears         .          .         .21 

This  dog  was  remarkably  fierce  and  treacherous.  On 
one  occasion  he  attacked  myself,  and  I  was  so  dreadfully 
torn  in  the  conflict,  that  I  was  laid  up  for  many  weeks, 


70  NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG. 

while  it  was  months  before  I  recovered  the  use  of  my  right 
hand  and  arm. 

In  the  West  Indies  these  dogs  are  employed  to  convey 
cattie  across  rivers,  and  also  to  aid  them  in  landing  from  the 
ships  in  which  they  arrive.  "  We  have  often  witnessed, 
when  vessels  with  live-stock  arrive  in  our  West  Indian 
colonies,  and  the  oxen  are  hoisted  out,  by  a  sling  passed 
round  the  base  of  their  horns,  the  great  assistance  they 
afford  to  bring  them  to  land.  For  when  the  ox,  first  suspend- 
ed by  the  head,  is  lowered,  and  allowed  to  fall  into  the 
water,  men  generally  swim,  and  guide  it  by  the  horns  ;  but 
at  other  times  this  service  is  performed  by  one  or  two  dogs, 
who,  catching  the  bewildered  animal  by  the  ears,  one  on 
each  side,  force  it  to  swim  in  the  direction  of  the  landing- 
place,  and  instantly  release  their  hold  when  they  feel  it 
touches  the  ground."* 

THE    MEXICAN    DOG. 

A  long-backed,  ill-shaped  animal,  not  unlike  a  lurcher; 
legs  comparatively  short ;  and  ears  usually  cropped.  This 
is  identical  with  the  Techichi  described  by  Fernandez. 

THE    WOLF-DOG    OF    FLORIDA 

Is  described  by  Mr.  Bartram  as  different  from  the  local 
wolves  only  in  its  powers  of  barking.  His  anecdote  of  one 
which  was  trained  by  his  wild  master  to  guard  a  troop  of 
horses,  without  any  human  superintendence,  proves  it  to  be 
highly  docile  and  intelligent,  (Bartram's  Travels.)  This 
dog  stands  upwards  of  twenty-seven  inches  in  height ;  the 
ears  are  erect ;  the  tail  is  full,  and  bushy. 

THE    PARIAH,    OR    EGYPTIAN    STREET-DOG. 

This  is  probably  the  "  Keleb"  of  antiquity,  degraded  by 
mange,  famine,  mongrel  ism,  and  general  neglect. 

This  dog,  miserable  as  is  its  condition,  is  not  destitute  of 
good  qualities.  It  is  sagacious,  and  will  not  quit  its  own 
quarter  of  the  town,  where  it  acts  as  a  guard  upon  the 
property  of  the  inhabitants  ;  none  will  transgress  the  limits 
of  their  particular  district,  even  though  offered  the  most 
tempting  baits. f 

*  Nat.  Lib.  Mam.  vol.  x. 

t  The  dogs  of  Lisbon,  described  by  Surgeon  Wilde,  present  a 
twit  of  character. 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG.  71 

Nor  is  the  Pariah  devoid  of  courage.  1  recollect  an 
anecdote,  told,  I  think,  by  Captain  Brown,  on  "  Oriental 
Field  Sports,"  of  a  Pariah  that  was  cast  into  a  tiger's  cage, 
to  serve  that  animal  for  a  meal,  seizing  his  monstrous  enemy 
by  the  nose  whenever  he  approached,  and  by  his  spirited 
conduct  inspiring  the  tiger  with  such  respect,  that  it  not  only 
ceased  attempting  to  destroy,  but  actually  conceived  a  strong 
attachment  for  the  dog. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


HOUNDS    PROPERLY    SO    CALLED. 


The  Talbot. 

The  Bloodhound. 

The  Staghouii'.i. 

The  Oriental  Hound.  The  Italian  Pointer. 

The  Foxhound.  The  English  Pointer. 

The  Harrier.  The  Dalmatian,  or  Carriage 


The  Spanish  Pointer. 
The  Portuguese  Pointer. 
The  French  Pointer. 


The  Beagle. 

The  Kerry  Beagle. 


Dog. 
The  Russian  Pointer. 


The  Otterhound. 

TERRIERS. 


The  Russian  Terrier. 
The  Scottish. 
The  Isle  of  Skye. 
The  English. 


The  Maltese. 

The  South  American. 

The  Turnspit. 

The  Harlequin  Terrier 


THE    TALBOT 


Is,  perhaps,  the  oldest  of  our  slow  hounds.  He  had  a 
broad  mouth  ;  very  deep  chops ;  very  long  and  large  pen- 
dulous ears  ;  was  fine-coated,  and  not,  as  some  write,  ''rough 
on  the  belly;"  his  color  was  usually  a  pure  white.  This 
was  the  hound  formerly  known  as  "  St.  Hubert's  breed," 
and  was  distinct  from  the  bloodhound,  though  by  some  con- 
founded with  that  dog.  It  was  remarkable  for  its  deep  and 
sonorous  voice  ;  and  it  was  this  hound  of  which  Shakspeare 
was  evidently  thinking,  when  he  wrote — 

"  My  hounds  are  bred  out  of  the  Spartan  kind, 
So  flew'd,  so  sanded,  and  their  heads  are  hung 
With  ears  that  sweep  away  the  morning's  dew  ; 
Crook-kneed,  and  dew-lapp'd  like  Thessalian  bulls  j 
Slow  in  pursuit,  but  match'd  in  mouth  like  bells, 
Each  under  each." 

This  was  the  same  with  the  old  Southern  hound,  and  not, 
as  Colonel  Smith  seems  to  suppose,  distinct  from  i*. 


72 


NATURAL   HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG. 


THE    BLOODHOUND. 

It  is  probable  that  the  Bloodhound  sprung  directly  from 
the  preceding  dog,  having  originally  been  merely  indi- 
vidual hounds  selected  from  the  pack  of  Talbots,  on  account 
of  their  superior  scent  or  speed  ;  or,  perhaps,  their  acci- 
dentally being  dark  in  color  and  less  noisy  of  tongue,  and 
from  these  circumstances  less  liable  to  be  detected  by  the 
felon  of  whom  they  were  in  pursuit.  The  bloodhound  is  a 


tall,  showy  hound  ;  out,  in  a  state  of  purity,  seldom  attains, 
and  certainly  never  exceeds,  twenty-eight  inches  in  height  at 
the  shoulder — the  average  height  is  twenty-six  inches  for 
females,  and  twenty-seven  for  males.  The  ears  are  singu- 
larly long  and  pendulous,  and  should,  in  a  perfect  specimen, 
be  within  an  inch  or  two  of  the  animal's  height,  from  tip  to 
tip  across  the  head.  The  great  Landseer  has  immortalized 
the  Bloodhound  in  many  of  his  superb  paintings.  Among 
others,  I  may  name  his  "  Dignity  and  Impudence,"  repre- 
senting a  noble  Bloodhound  looking  out  from  his  kennel,  in 
grave  and  dignified  majesty ;  while  a  little  wire-haired  ter- 
rier is  at  his  feet,  apparently  impudently  growling  at  some 
approaching  intruder.  Those  who  have  seen  the  originals 
of  this  paining  have  pronounced  "  Malvina,"  a  beautiful 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG.  73 

animal  of  the  breed,  bred  by  me,  and  recently  in  my  own 
possession,  but  now  the  property  of  Robert  Sproule,  Esq.,  of 
Kildevin,  to  be  greatly  superior  to  the  Bloodhound  portrayed 
by  Landseer.  Malvina's  sire,  "Be vis,"  figured  above,  was 
likewise  transferred  to  canvass  by  my  friend  C.  Grey,  who, 
a«  an  animal  painter,  can  be  reckoned  second  only  to  the 
great  master  above-mentioned.  Malvina  stands  twenty-six 
inches  in  height,  and  her  ears  measure  twenty-five  in  extent, 
and  upwards  of  five  in  breadth.  The  color  of  the  Blood- 
hound is  tan,  or  black  and  tan,  like  an  English  terrier ;  if 
white  be  present,  the  breed  is  impure.  The  jowl  of  the 
bloodhound  is  deep,  and  his  air  majestic  and  solemn.  The 
vertex  of  the  head  is  remarkably  protuberant,  and  this  pro- 
tuberance is  characteristic  of  high  breeding.  The  Blood- 
hound is  not,  as  Colonel  Smith  supposes,  "  silent  while  fol- 
lowing the  scent ;"  but  he  is  certainly  less  noisy  than  other 
hounds,  and  only  opens  occasionally,  and  even  then  his  bay 
is  easily  distinguished,  after  having  once  been  heard,  from 
that  of  every  other  description  of  dog. 

It  has  been  frequently  suggested  that  the  Bloodhound  should 
be  once  more  employed  in  tracing  felons  to  their  hiding-place. 
Many  have  objected  to  this,  on  the  score  of  its  supposed  cru- 
elty ;  but  they  are  not,  perhaps,  aware  that  the  British  Blood- 
hound does  not  injure  the  object  of  his  pursuit ;  he  merely 
traces  it  to  its  lair,  and  then,  by  his  loud  baying,  indicates  its 
position  to  his  human  auxiliaries.  I  am,  however,  far  from 
advocating  any  thing  of  the  kind — I  leave  the  matter  where 
I  found  it,  to  be  canvassed'by  others  as  they  please. 

In  1603,  the  "  Thrapston  Association" — a  society  formed 
in  Northamptonshire  for  the  suppression  of  felony — procured 
and  trained  a  Bloodhound,  for  the  detection  of  sheep-stealers. 
In  order  to  prove  the  utility  of  the  dog,  a  man  was  dispatched 
from  a  spot,  where  a  great  concourse  of  people  were  assem- 
bled, about  ten  o'clock,  A.  M.,  and  an  hour  afterwards  the 
hound  was  laid  on  the  scent.  After  a  chase  of  an  hour  and 
a  half,  the  hound  found  the  man  secreted  in  a  tree,  many 
miles  from  the  place  of  starting. 

Mr.  Boyle,  in  his  "  Treatise  on  Air,"  informs  us  that  a  per- 
son  of  quality,  in  order  to  ascertain  whether  a  young  Blood- 
hound had  been  well  trained,  caused  one  of  his  servants  to 
walk  to  a  town  four  miles  off,  and  then  to  a  market  town  three 
miles  from  thence.  The  dog,  without  seeing  the  man  he  was 
to  pursue,  followed  him  by  the  scent  to  the  above-mentioned 
places,  notwithstanding  the  multitude  of  market-people  that 

7 


74  NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG. 

went  along  the  same  road,  and  of  travellers  that  had  occasion 
to  cross  it :,  and  when  he  came  to  the  chief  market  town,  he 
passed  through  the  streets  without  taking  any  notice  of  the 
people  there.  He  ceased  not  till  he  had  gone  to  the  house 
where  the  man  he  sought  rested  himself,  and  where  he  found 
him  in  an  upper  room,  to  the  wonder  of  those  who  had  accom- 
panied him  in  his  pursuit. 

The  only  modes  of  escaping  the  unerring  scent  of  the  blood- 
hound were  crossing  water  or  spilling  blood  upon  the  track. 
In  the  notes  to  the  "  Lay  of  the  Last  Minstrel,"  Sir  W.  Scott 
says, — "  Barbour  informs  us  that  Robert  Bruce  was  repeatedly 
tracked  by  sleuth-dogs.*  On  one  occasion,  he  escaped  by 
wading  a  bowshot  down  a  brook,  and  thus  baffled  the  scent. 
The  pursuers  came  up — 

"  '  Rycht  to  the  burn  thai  passyt  ware, 

But  the  sleuth-hound  made  slenting  there, 

And  waveryt  lang  time  ta  and  fra, 

That  he  na  certain  gait  couth  ga  ; 

Till  at  the  last  John  of  Lorn 

Perseuvit  the  Hund  the  sleuth  had  borne.' 

The  Bruce,  Book  VII. 

"  A  sure  way  of  stopping  the  dog  was  to  spill  blood  upon  the 
track,  which  destroyed  the  discriminating  fineness  of  his  scent. 
A  captive  was  sometimes  sacrificed  on  such  occasions.  Hen- 
ry the  Minstrel  tells  us  a  romantic  story  of  Wallace,  founded 
on  this  circumstance.  The  hero's  little  band  had  been  joined 
by  an  Irishman,  named  Fawdon,  or  Fadzean,  a  dark,  savage, 
and  suspicious  character.  After  a  sharp  skirmish  at  Black 
Erneside,  Wallace  was  forced  to  retreat,  with  only  sixteen 
followers.  The  English  pursued  with  a  border  sleuth-brach,f 
or  Bloodhound.  In  the  retreat,  Fawdon,  tired,  or  affecting  to 
be  so,  would  go  no  farther.  Wallace,  having  in  vain  argued 
with  him,  in  hasty  anger  struck  off  his  head,  and  continued 
the  retreat.  When  the  English  came  up,  their  hound  stayed 
upon  the  dead  body." 


THE    STAGHOUND. 

As  the  breed  of  English  horses  increased  in  swiftness, 
sportsmen  found  that  it  became  necessary  to  increase  in  an 
equal  ratio  the  speed  of  their  hounds.  From  this  circura- 

*  From  sleuth,  or  slot — track,  especially  of  blood, 
t  Literally,  "  track.beagle." 


NATURAL    HJFTORY    OF    THE    DOG.  75 

stance,  we  have  acquired  the  Staghound,  a  cross  from  the 
Talbot  or  old  southern  hound  or  bloodhound  with  some  lighter 
stock,  probably  the  greyhound — carefully  bred  back  to  the 
desired  standard. 

In  stature,  individual  Staghounds  frequently  equal  the 
bloodhound.  Few  packs,  however,  are  to  be  met  with  ex- 
ceeding an  average  of  twenty-six  inches  ;  and  twenty-five 
inches,  at  the  fore-shoulder,  is  more  near  the  general  mark. 
In  appearance,  the  Staghound  is  a  half-bred  bloodhound,  and 
he  certainly  possesses  one  very  striking  peculiarity  in  common 
with  that  dog — viz.,  of  pertinaciously  adhering  to  the  first  scent 
on  which  he  is  laid. 

The  true  Staghound  has  gradually  died  away  since  the 
days  of  George  III.,*  and  has  been  replaced  by  a  dog  more 
nearly  allied  to  the  foxhound,  and  that  for  the  very  reason  al- 
ready adduced  as  having  produced  the  Staghound  itself — viz., 
a  further  increase  of  speed  in  the  horses  employed  in  the 
chase.  Hunting  having  subsequently  become  steeple-chasing 
in  disguise,  even  the  old  Staghound  became  too  slow  for  mod- 
ern taste,  and  he  has  accordingly  been  laid  on  the  shelf.  The 
foxhound  has  now  become,  literally,  the  "  hound  of  all  work." 

Representations  of  dogs,  very  like  our  Staghound,  are  found 
among  ancient  Egyptian  paintings.  We  may  fitly  describe 
the  dog  indicated  by  them  as  the  oriental  hound. 


THE    ORIENTAL    HOUND. 

This  hound  is  more  like  the  Staghound  than  the  foxhound, 
differing  from  the  latter  dog  in  the  greater  height  of  its  legs, 
and  the  shortness  of  its  body. 

Colonel  Smith  gives  a  figure  of  one  of  these  dogs,  "  from  a 
drawing  made  in  Persia  of  one  of  several  belonging  to  a  Coord- 
ish  chief."  (Nat.  Lib.  Mam.,  vol.  x.) 

These  are  said  to  possess  so  fine  a  nose  as  to  be  able  to  trace 
deer  several  hours  after  they  have  passed — a  fineness  of  nose 
that,  considering  the  heat  of  the  climate,  and  consequent  rapid 
evaporation  of  the  particles  of  scent,  indicate  these  dogs  as 
superior  in  nose  to  any  European  hound — if,  perhaps,  we  ex- 
cept the  bloodhound.  This  is  by  some  referred  to  the  hound 
called  the  breed  of  St.  Louis,  from  Palestine,  to  which  our 
hounds  owed  much  improvement  from  crossing. 

In  Wilkinson's  "  Manners  and  Customs  of  the  Egyptians," 

*  An  ardent  admirer  and  patron  of  stag-hunting. 


76  NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOR. 

there  is  a  representation  given  of  a  pack  of  these  dogs,  from 
which  Mr.  Jesse,  (Anecdotes  of  Dogs,  p.  305,)  not  being  suf- 
ficiently acquainted  with  the  subject  to  distinguish  the  stag- 
hound  from  the  foxhound,  takes  occasion  to  argue  that  the  latter 
dog  is  identical  with  the  eastern  hound,  and  consequently  of 
very  ancient,  instead  of,  as  he  actually  is,  of  comparatively 
modern  origin.  It  is  from  this  dog  that  the  red  hounds  of  the 
continent,  used,  in  the  fourteenth  and  fifteenth  centuries,  for 
hunting  the  wolf  and  boar,  sprung;  they  had  been  brought 
thither  from  Palestine  by  St.  Louis,  in  the  thirteenth  centu- 
ry :  their  principal  characteristics  were  speed,  bottom,  and 
high  courage  ;  in  general  aspect  they  seem  to  have  resembled 
our  bloodhounds,  but  were  rather  lighter,  and  more  like  the 
staghound. 


THE    FOXHOUND 

Appears  to  have  been  produced  from  the  staghound  by  a 
cross  of  greyhound,  and  probably  also  of  a  terrier.  He  is  less 
in  size  than  the  staghound  ;  has  smaller  and  less  hound-like 
ears,  which  are  also  usually  rounded  off  when  young.  The 
foxhound  was  unknown  to  us  until  within  the  last  two  hundred 
years.* 

He  is  a  bold,  dashing  hound,  up  to  all  sorts  of  sport,  and 
having  "  more  of  the  devil"  in  his  composition  than  any  of  his 
congeners.  He  is  now  found  so  useful  that  he  is  made  to  su- 
persede all  other  hounds,  and  is  bred  to  size,  &c.,  according 
to  the  sport  for  which  he  may  be  required.  Fox-hunting  is 
no  longer  hunting — it  is  nothing  but  steeple-chasing  ;  and  I 
cannot  dwell  upon  it  with  any  pleasure,  when  I  reflect  on  the 
barbarities  which  spring  from  it,  as  it  is  now  followed. 

THE    HARRIER. 

This  was  a  smaller  hound  than  the  preceding,  exhibiting 
an  appearance  of  higher  breeding,  and  resembling  a  minia- 
ture of  the  old  talbot.  Its  height  averaged  about  eighteen 
inches ;  it  was  remarkable  for  possessing  a  delightful 
melody  of  voice,  and  for  the  leisurely  and  methodic  manner 
in  which  it  pursued  its  game.  Hare-hunting  was,  when 

*  In  the  account  of  Queen  Elizabeth's  hunting  establishment,  no  men- 
tion is  made  of  the  foxhound  ;  and  the  first  mention  of  him  of  which  we 
read,  is  rather  within  the  above  period  than  beyond  it. 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF   THE    DOG.  77 

managed  thus,  an  amusement  of  almost  a  philosophic  charac- 
ter, in  following  which,  the  mind  had  time  to  contemplate  the  ef- 
forts of  one  animal  to  elude  pursuit,  and  of  the  other  to  frus- 
trate those  efforts.  The  Harrier  is  now,  likewise,  gone,  hav- 
ing been  wholly  superseded  by  the  foxhound  ;  a  dwarf  vari- 
ety of  which  dog  is  now  bred  for  the  purpose  of  hare-hunting, 
— an  amusement  which,  I  must  add,  is  itself  rapidly  falling 
into  disrepute,  as  not  being  sufficiently  exciting.  Fox-hunt- 
ers are  in  the  habit  of  characterizing  hare-hunting  as  an 
amusement  only  fit  for  ladies  and  elderly  gentlemen  ! 


THE    BEAGLE. 

The  Beagle,  the  brach  of  olden  time,  is  the  smallest  of  our 
hounds,  and  the  most  melodious  in  voice.  The  Beagle  rarely 
exceeds  fourteen  inches  in  height,  and,  if  less,  is  so  much  the 
more  highly  valued.  I  saw  one  some  years  ago,  at  Mr.  No- 
lan's, Dublin,  only  seven  inches  in  height  at  the  shoulder, 
well-eared,  and  in  every  respect  beautifully  formed.  Mr. 
Beere,  of  Drumcondra,  possesses  a  specimen  almost  as  diminu- 
tive. 

These  little  hounds  were  well-known  in  Queen  Bess's 
days,  and  that  sovereign  lady  had  little  Beagles,  called  sing- 
ing Beagles,  so  small  that  they  could  be  placed  in  a  man's 
glove !  It  was  then  quite  of  common  occurrence  that  an 
entire  pack  of  them  should  be  carried  to  the  field  in  a  pair  of 
panniers. 

There  are,  and  seem  ever  to  have  been,  two  varieties  of 
Beagle — a  rough  and  a  smooth.  The  former  seems  to  have 
been  the  dog  noticed  by  Oppian,  under  the  name  of  "Agas- 
seus." 

THE  KERRY  BEAGLE. 

I  introduce  this  hound  here,  although  he  should  more  prop- 
erly have  followed  in  the  immediate  steps  of  the  staghound, 
in  order  to  point  out  the  absurdity  of  his  name.  The  Kerry 
Beagle  is  a  fine,  tall,  dashing  hound,  averaging  twenty-six 
inches  in  height,  and  occasionally  individual  dogs  attain  to 
twenty-eight ;  has  deep  chops ;  broad,  full,  and  pendulous 
ears ;  and,  when  highly  bred,  is  hardly  to  be  distinguished 
from  an  indifferent  bloodhound.  In  Ireland  alone  do  we  find 
this  hound.  We  have  two  packs — both  in  the  South — one 
belonging  to  John  O'Connell,  Esq.,  of  Killarney,  and  the  other 
to  H.  Herbert,  Esq.,  of  Mucross.  They  appear  to  be  the 


78  NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG. 

genuine  descendants  of  the  old  Southern  hound,  bred  some- 
what  lighter,  to  suit  modern  taste,  and  are  used  exclusively 
for  deer-hunting. 

THE    OTTER-HOUND 

Mr.  Jesse,  in  his  "  Anecdotes,"  has  evidently  mistaken  this 
dog,  and  its  peculiarities  of  conformation. 

The  Otter-hound  appears  to  have  sprung  from  a  cross  be- 
tween the  Southern  hound  and  a  rough  terrier  ;  at  least  so 
his  appearance  indicates.  His  head  and  ears  are  smooth,  and 
the  latter  are  very  pendulous ;  while  the  neck,  and  the  re- 
mainder of  the  body,  are  covered  with  coarse  and  wiry  hair. 
The  color  of  the  Otter-hound  is  usually  sandy  red. 

As  the  otter  is  no  longer  hunted  with  such  form  and  cere- 
mony as  of  old,  the  genuine  Otter-hounds  are  fast  becoming 
lost,  and  their  place  is  supplied  by  the  rough,  wire-haired 
Scotch  terrier,  especially  that  breed  called  Skye  terrier.  A 
cross  of  the  bull-dog  is  an  improvement ;  and  even  ordinary 
bull-terriers  are  not  to  be  despised,  for  when  it  comes  to  the 
death-tussel,  the  otter  requires  a  game  antagonist. 

Attempts  have  frequently  been  made  to  breed  or  make 
Otter-hounds,  resembling  the  ancient  smooth-headed,  rough- 
bodied  sort,  but  without  success  ;  it  having  been  found  im- 
possible to  produce  any  but  such  as  were  either  all  rough, 
or  all  smooth.  Otter-hunting  certainly  requires  resolute 
dogs ;  but  as  the  pursuit  is  now  only  followed  to  destroy  this 
piscatory  marauder,  we  need  not  be  so  very  particular  as  to 
the  modus  operandi.  The  otter  is  no  longer  regarded  as 
game,  but  branded  as  a  felon,  and  his  destruction  hailed  with 
delight. 

THE    SPANISH    POINTER. 

This  is  a  large,  big-boned  hound,  standing  high  on  its  legs, 
with  very  heavy  ears,  and  a  deep  jowl.  The  Spanish  Pointer 
is  usually  white,  with  occasionally  some  brown  or  red 
patches.  He  is  remarkable  for  his  stanchness,  and  for  the 
facility  with  which  he  can  be  taught  his  duty.  It  appears  to 
admit  of  no  doubt  that  the  pointer,  and  other  setting-dogs, 
were  originally  hounds  accustomed  to  trace  their  game  by  the 
scent,  and  then,  rushing  in,  secure  it ;  but,  previous  to  this 
rush,  it  was  natural  to  them  to  pause  for  a  second  or  so  to 
collect  their  energies  for  the  spring.  This  momentary  pause 
has  been,  by  training,  converted  into  a  decided  stop  ;  and  the 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG.  79 

dng  has  been  taught  to  suspend  his  intended  rush,  as  it  is  the 
priv  ilege  of  his  master,  and  not  himself,  to  finish  the  work  the 
dog  has  only  begun.  Such  is  the  hereditary  instinct  of  the 
highly-bred  Spanish  Pointer,  that  a  whelp,  not  more  than  five 
months  old,  has  been  known,  when,  without  any  previous 
training,  brought  for  the  first  time  into  the  field,  to  point 
steadily  at  lying  game.  I  heard  one  instance,  indeed,  related 
of  a  whelp  of  this  age,  and  under  such  circumstances  as  I 
describe,  actually  backing  its  dam  in  her  point.  This  sounds 
strange  ;  but  the  party  to  whom  I  am  indebted  for  the  anec- 
dote, is  not  merely  a  thorough  sportsman,  but  a  thorough 
gentleman,  whose  word  is  beyond  suspicion. 

The  Spanish  Pointer  is  apparently  a  dog  of  very  ancient 
extraction  ;  but  not,  as  his  name  would  imply,  of  Spanish 
origin — at  least  not  remotely  so  ;  for  the  primitive  breed  is 
traceable  to  the  East.  Indeed  some  ancient  Egyptian  figures, 
published  by  Caillarid,  distinctly  represent  a  dog,  beyond 
question  of  this  variety,  in  the  act  of  pointing.  The  old 
Spanish  Pointer  is,  when  perfectly  thoroughbred,  remarkable 
as  possessing  a  cleft  nose,  similar  to  the  Russian  variety, 
presently  to  be  described. 

This  dog  was  found  too  heavy  for  the  ardor  of  British 
sportsmen,  and,  with  the  old  Talbot,  or  Manchester  hound, 
sunk  gradually  into  disuse  ;  and  has  since  become  supplant- 
ed by  a  lighter,  more  active,  and  energetic  dog,  better  suited 
to  the  tastes  of  our  eager  countrymen,  viz.,  the  English 
Pointer. 

THE    PORTUGUESE    POINTER 

Is  lighter  than  the  Spanish ;  .has  a  feathered  tail ;  is  un- 
steady and  quarrelsome  ;  and  by  no  means  to  be  commended. 


THE    FRENCH    POINTER 

Wants  the  stanchness  of  our  English  dog.  He  is  less  ob- 
jectionable than  the  variety  just  described,  but  still  not  the 
thing. 

THE    ITALIAN    POINTER. 

I  thus  name  a  dwarf  variety  of  pointer  that  I  formerly  de- 
scribed in  the  "Sportsman."  This  is  a  perfect  miniature  va- 
riety of  a  very  highly-bred  English  pointer,  seldom  exceeding 
one  foot  in  height.  I  saw  one  about  twelve  years  ago,  in  pos- 
session of  Stewart  Menteith,  Esq.,  of  Closeburn,  Dumfriesshire, 


80  NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DO*?. 

and  another  about  the  same  time,  in  possession  ol  Mr.  Mather, 
an  artist,  resident  in  Edinburgh.  These  little  dogs  had  ex- 
quisite noses,  and  would  set  game  as  stanchly  as  any  other 
pointer,  but  were,  of  course,  too  small  for  field  use. 

THE    ENGLISH    POINTER. 

This  has  evidently  been  produced  by  a  cross  between  the 
Spanish  variety  and  the  foxhound ;  and  it  is  to  this  circum- 
stance that  we  are  to  attribute  his  energy  and  fire. 

The  English  Pointer  is  remarkable  for  his  extraordinary 
stanchness.  Pluto  and  Juno,  property  of  the  celebrated 
Colonel  Thornton,  stood  for  an  hour  and  a  quarter  in  the  act 
of  pointing,  without  moving  during  the  entire  of  that  time, 
while  they  were  being  drawn  and  painted  by  the  late  eminent 
artist,  Mr.  Gilpin. 

A  well-trained  Pointer  is  very  valuable,  and  will  fetch  a 
high  price.  Dash,  a  fine  pointer,  also  belonging  to  Colonel 
Thornton,  was  sold  for  £160  worth  of  champagne  and  Bur- 
gundy, one  hogshead  of  claret,  an  elegant  gun,  and  another 
Pointer,  with  the  proviso,  that  if  any  accident  should  at  any 
time  disable  the  dog,  he  was  to  be  returned  to  the  colonel,  at 
the  price  of  £50  !  (Sportsman's  Repos.) 

The  following  anecdote  proves  the  perfection  of  training  to 
which  Pointers  may  be  brought  by  proper  discipline.  A 
friend  of  Mr.  Jesse's  "  went  out  shooting  with  a  gentleman 
celebrated  for  the  goodness  of  his  breed :  they  took  the  field 
with  eight  of  these  dogs.  If  one  pointed,  all  the  rest  imme- 
diately backed  steadily.  If  a  partridge  was  shot,  they  all 
dropped  to  charge,  and  whichever  dog  was  called  to  bring  the 
bird,  the  rest  never  stirred  till  they  were  told  to  do  so." 
(Anec.  Dogs.,  p.  2S3.) 

A  Pointer  hates  a  bad  shot ;  my  old  friend  Captain  Brown 
relates  the  following  capital  anecdote.  A  gentleman  having 
requested  the  loan  of  a  Pointer  dog  from  a  friend,  was  inform- 
ed by  him  that  the  dog  would  behave  very  well  so  long  as  he 
could  kill  his  birds  ;  but  if  he  frequently  missed  them,  the  dog 
would  run  home  and  leave  him.  The  Pointer  was  according- 
ly sent,  and  the  following  day  was  fixed  for  trial ;  but,  un- 
fortunately, his  new  master  happened  to  be  a  remarkably  bad 
shot.  Bird  after  bird  rose  and  was  fired  at,  but  still  pursued 
its  flight  untouched,  till  at  last  the  dog  became  careless,  and 
often  missed  his  game.  As  if  seemingly  willing,  however, 
to  give  one  chance  more,  he  made  a  dead  stop  at  a  fern  bush, 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG.  81 

with  his  nose  pointed  downward,  the  forefoot  bent,  and  the 
tail  straight  and  steady.  In  this  position  he  remained  firm  till 
the  sportsman  was  close  to  him,  with  both  barrels  cocked ;  then 
moving  steadily  forward  for  a  few  paces,  he  at  last  stood  still 
near  a  bunch  of  heather,  the  tail  expressing  the  anxiety  of 
the  mind  by  moving  regularly  backwards  and  forwards.  \t. 
last,  out  sprung  a  fine  old  blackcock.  Bang,  bang,  went 
both  barrels — but  the  bird  escaped  unhurt.  The  patience  of 
the  dog  was  now  quite  exhausted,  and,  instead  of  dropping  to 
charge,  he  turned  boldly  round,  placed  his  tail  between  his 
legs,  gave  one  howl,  long  and  loud,  and  set  off  as  fast  as  he 
could  to  his  own  home. 

Pointers  have  been  known  to  go  out  by  themselves  in  search 
of  game,  and  if  they  found,  to  return  for  their  master,  and, 
by  gestures,  induce  him  to  take  his  gun,  and  follow  them  to 
the  spot. 

The  comparative  merits  of  Pointer  and  Setter  have  been 
made  the  subject  of  considerable  controversy.  Much  may 
be  said  on  both  sides,  and  I  shall  myself  have  a  few  words  to 
say  when  I  come  to  treat  of  the  latter  dog. 

THE    DALMATIAN,    OR    CARRIAGE  DOG.* 

Thio  is  a  very  handsome  dog,  in  every  respect  similar  to 
the  pointer.  It  is  not,  in  its  present  state,  remarkable  for  sa- 
gacity or  fineness  of  scent ;  but  these  deficiencies  may  have 
arisen  from  the  disuse  of  its  natural  powers  through  so  many 
generations.  One  instance  of  a  Dalmatian  having  been  bro- 
ken to  the  gun,  fell,  some  years  ago,  under  my  own  observa- 
tion, and  the  dog  proved  himself  worthy  of  his  training.  Co- 
lonel Smith  figures  a  large  and  showy  dog  as  the  supposed  ori- 
ginal of  the  Dalmatian.  His  figure  is  taken  from  a  print  pub- 
lished at  Cadiz  a  number  of  years  ago.  The  original  had 
been  brought  from  India.  This  figure  is,  however,  very  dis- 
similar from  our  carriage-dog,  and  resembles  far  more  the 
tiger-hound,  already  described. 

THE    RUSSIAN    POINTER. 

This  dog  is  covered  with  coarse,  wiry  hair,  like  the  Rus, 
sian  terrier.  He  is  somewhat  less  in  stature  than  the  ordina, 
ry  pointer,  and  is  lower  in  the  shoulder.  His  nose  is  cleft, 

*  This  is  a  perfectly  distinct  variety  from  the  Great  Dane,  and  by  no 
means  to  be  confounded  with  him. 


82  NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG. 

hence  he  is  frequently  called  the  "  double-nosed  pointer.'1 
He  is  very  stanch,  -and  is  held  in  deservedly  high  estimation  ; 
but  I  have  been  giv^n  to  understand  that  his  temper  is  unyield- 
ing, and  that  he  requires  great  care  and  caution  in  training. 
When  a  good  dog  of  this  breed  is  well  and  thoroughly  broken 
in,  he  is  considered  very  valuable,  and  fetches  a  long  price. 
The  prevailing  opinion  among  sportsmen  is,  that  the  Rus- 
sian Pointer  requires  fresh  training,  to  a  certain  extent,  at  the 
commencement  of  each  season ;  but  so,  indeed,  do  most  of 
his  smooth-coated  brethren. 


THE  TERRIERS. 

THE    RUSSIAN    TERRIER. 

THE  Terriers  are  a  very  hardy  race  of  dogs,  full  of  cour- 
age and  spirit.  They  will  face  any  thing,  no  matter  what 
may  be  the  disparity  of  size,  and  will  fight  with  the  greatest 
vigor  and  fury. 

The  Russian  Terrier  exceeds  his  brethren  in  size  and 
strength,  frequently  attaining  to  the  height  of  twenty-six  inch- 
es at  the  shoulder.  He  stands  high  and  straight  on  his  legs, 
and  is  not  altogether  unlike  the  mastiff  in  general  form  :.  but 
is  lighter  and  more  active.  Two  well-sized  dogs  are  con- 
sidered sufficient  to  grapple  with  an  ordinary  wolf,  and  half 
a  dozen  are  more  than  enough  to  puzzle  a  bear.  Tl)e  Rus- 
sian Terrier  is  in  considerable  request  in  Scotland  as  a  watch- 
dog— a  post  for  which  he  is  eminently  qualified,  uniting,  as 
he  does,  the  force  of  the  mastiff  with  the  vigilance  of  the 
Terrier.  He  is  also  a  good  and  willing  water-dog,  and  is,  on 
this  account,  a  valuable  auxiliary  in  otter-hunting.  He  would 
make  a  good  retriever ;  but,  unfortunately,  is  of  too  fierce  a 
temper,  will  not  bear  the  whip,  and  is  what  sportsmen  term 
hard-mouthed — being  given  to  injure  the  game  with  his  teeth. 
The  color  of  the  Russian  Terrier  is  usually  black  and  tan ; 
but  the  largest  dogs  of  the  breed  that  I  have  seen  were  of  a 
reddish-brown  color.  I  saw  two  dogs  of  this  color  about  ten 
years  ago,  in  Edinburgh,  one  of  which  measured  twenty-seven, 
and  the  other  twenty-eight  inches  in  height  at  the  shoulder — 
equal  also  in  bulk  and  bone  to  some  mastiffs.  These  are 
known  also  in  Germany,  where  they  are  called  ."  boar- 
searchers." 


HITTRAL   HISTORY    OP    THE    DOG. 


83 


THE    SCOTCH    TERRIER. 

>"  nere  are  two  varieties  of  the  common  Scotch  Terrier. 
One  which  stands  rather  high  on  his  legs,  is  usually  of  a 
sandy-red  color,  and  very  strongly  made — he  stands  about 
eighteen  or  twenty  inches  in  height,  and  is  commonly  called 
the  "  Highland  terrier."  The  other  is  lower,  long-backed, 
and  short-legged  ;  hair  more  wiry,  but  not  so  long  as  in  the 
former  ;  mouth  also  not  so  broad,  and  muzzle  longer.  This 
latter  variety  is  the  dog  celebrated  by  Sir  W.  Scott  as  the 
Pepper  and  Mustard,  or  Dandie  Dinmont  breed.  Francis  Car- 
ter, Esq.,  the  same  gentleman  of  whom  I  have  already  spo- 
ken as  possessing  the  deerhouncls,  has  a  pair  of  beautiful  lit- 
tle Dinmont  terriers — about  the  best,  the  dog  especially,  that 
I  have  ever  seen. 


THE    SKYE    TERRIER, 


So  called  from  its  being  found  in  greatest  perfection  in  the 
Western   Isles  of  Scotland,   and  the  Isle  of  Skye  in   par- 


ticular,  somewhat  resembles  the  preceding,  but  is  even 
longer  in  the  body,  lower  on  the  legs,  and  is  covered  with 
very  long,  but  not  coarse  hair  ;  its  ears  are  erect,  and  tufted 
at  the  extremities.  All  the  Scotch  terriers  are  "varmint" 
in  the  extreme,  and  are  on  this  account  great  favorites  with 
young  gentlemen  when  home  for  the  holidays,  being  equalled 
by  no  other  breed  of  dog  in  the  ardor  with  which  they  hunt 
<md  destroy  the  rat,  cat,  weasel — in  short,  every  thing  that  has 


84  NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG. 

fight  in  it ;  and,  lacking  other  game,  they  will  gladly  ana 
fiercely  engage  in  combat  with  each  other. 

THE    ENGLISH    TERRIER, 

A  light,  active,  and  graceful  little  dog,  usually  of  a  black 
and  tan  color — and  those  of  this  tint  are  the  best — but  some- 
times white.  If  black  and  tan,  they  should  not  present  a 
speck  of  white  ;  and  if  white,  they  should  be  entirely  of  that 
color. 

The  English  Terrier  is,  in  combat,  as  game  as  the  Scotch, 
but  less  hardy  in  enduring  cold  or  constant  immersion  in 
water.  It  appears  most  probable  that  the  rough  or  Scotch 
breed  was  the  primitive  stock,  and  that  the  smooth  or  Eng- 
lish varieties  are  the  result  of  artificial  culture.  A  small, 
well-marked  English  Terrier,  under  seven  pounds  weight, 
will,  "if  as  good  as  he  looks,"  fetch  from  five  to  ten  guineas. 
The  celebrated  dog  "  Billy,"  who  killed  the  hundred  rats  in 
less  than  five  minutes,  was  a  white  English  Terrier,  with  a 
dark  patch  on  the  side  of  his  head. 

THE    MALTESE. 

This  is  by  some  naturalists  classed  with  the  spaniels ;  but 
in  the  form  of  its  skull,  in  its  erect  ears,  rough  muzzle,  and 
determination  in  the  pursuit  of  vermin,  it  presents  charac- 
teristics sufficient  to  induce  me  to  place  it  in  the  present 
group.  It  is  usually  black,  but  sometimes  white — in  any 
case  it  should  be  but  of  one  color.  An  uncle  of  mine  had 
one  named  ironically  "  Lion,"  who,  although  under  five 
pounds  weight,  killed  an  enormous  rat  in  a  few  seconds,  in 
my  presence,  in  the  Hill-street  Baths,  Edinburgh. 

This  dog  was  well  known  to  the  ancients,  is  figured  on 
many  Roman  monuments,  and  was  described  by  Strabo. 
His  small  size,  and  want  of  strength  in  proportion  to  his 
courage,  have,  however,  long  reduced  this  spirited  little  dog 
to  the  condition  of  a  mere  lapdog  ;  and  as  he  has  been  super- 
seded by,  perhaps,  prettier,  and  at  all  events  more  easily  ob- 
tained pets,  he  has  now  become  almost  extinct.  Landseer 
has,  not  long  since,  introduced  one  into  a  splendid  painting, 
as,  "  The  Last  of  his  Race." 

THE    SOUTH    AMERICAN    TERRIER 

Is  something  like  the  preceding,  but  less  hairy,  and  with  a 
raore  pointed  muzzle.  It  is  remarkable  as  being  a  keen  de- 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG.  85 

stroyer  of  serpents — avoiding  their  bite,  and  with  a  rapid 
spring  seizing  the  reptile  by  the  back  of  the  head,  and 
crushing  it  in  an  instant.  If  an  eel  be  shown  to  one  of  these 
dogs,  he  will  act  in  the  same  manner  as  if  it  were  a  serpent, 
and  will  speedily  dispatch  it.  I  have  only  seen  one  of  these 
dogs,  and  saw  nothing  about  it  to  recommend  it,  except  as 
being  somewhat  rare  in  Britain. 

THE    MEXICAN    PRAIRIE    DOG. 

This  is  about  the  smallest  of  the  canine  family.  In  aspect 
he  resembles  a  minute  English  terrier,  but  his  head  is  some- 
what disproportioned  to  his  general  bulk.  I  have  been  told 
that  these  animals  burrow  in  the  prairies  of  their  native  land, 
like  marmots ;  I  am  not,  however,  satisfied  as  to  the  fact,  and 
would,  at  all  events,  observe  that  these  dogs  are  on  no  account 
to  be  confounded  with  the  little  "animals  so  common  in  North 
America,  and  known  (of  course  erroneously,  as  these  latter 
animals  do  not  belong  to  the  dog  tribe  at  all)  under  the  same 
name.  There  are  some  specimens  of  this  curious  breed  of 
dog  in  Dublin  ;  amongst  which  I  may  mention  one  in  posses- 
sion of  Mr.  Desmond,  of  Drumcondra  Hill. 

THE    TURNSPIT. 

This  dog,  although  evidently  a  mongrel,  is  nearer  to  the 
terriers  than  any  thing  else,  and  on  this  account  I  describe 
him  among  them.  He  is  a  small,  long-backed,  cross-made 
dog,  with  the  fore  legs  bent,  first  inwards  and  then  outwards ; 
he  is  frequently  pied,  or  glaucous-colored,  like  the  Great 
Danish  dog,  and  the  harlequin  terrier,  next  to  be  described. 
Formerly  his  use  was  to  turn  a  wheel,  on.  which  depended 
the  spit  which  roasted  the  meat  in  the  kitchen.  Fortunately 
for  humanity,  mechanical  contrivances  have,  in  these  coun- 
tries ut  least,  superseded  the  necessity  of  thus  torturing  a  poor 
dog ;  and  accordingly  the  Turnspit,  his  occupation  being 
gone,  is  himself  rapidly  passing  ii.to  oblivion.  I  have  seen 
dogs  in  Scotland,  resembling  the  Turnspit,  called  "  bowsy 
terriers,"  that  were  remarkable  for  their  combative  powers  ; 
I  conceived  them  to  be  a  cross  between  the  old  Turnspit  and 
the  low-legged  Scotch  terrier. 

THE    HARLEQUIN    TERRIER. 

Whatever  be  the  origin  of  this  little  dog,  it  is  now  a  recog- 


86  NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG. 

nised  variety  ;  and  from  its  extreme  beauty,  both  of  form  anc 
color,  combined  with  all  such  qualities  as  terriers  should  pos- 
sess, developed  in  the  highest  degree  of  perfection,  it  is  richly 
deserving  of  being  cultivated.  In  form,  it  is,  as  it  were,  a 
perfect  English  terrier  ;  in  color,  it  is  bluish  slate-color,  mark- 
ed with  darker  blotches  and  patches,  and  often  with  tan 
about  the  legs  and  muzzle.  It  is  one  of  the  most  determined 
of  iis  race,  and  is  surpassed  by  none  in  the  skill  and  activity 
witn  which  it  pursues  and  catches  its  game,  and  the  resolu- 
tion with  which  it  battles  with  and  destroys  it.  I  have  seen 
lately  a  beautiful  pair  and  some  puppies,  in  possession  of  Mr. 
Nolan,  of  Bachelor's- walk,  Dublin ;  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Wil- 
cocks,  of  Palmerstown,  has  also  long  been  famous  for  this 
breed  of  dogs ;  I  believe  Mr.  Wilcocks  was  the  first  to  intro- 
duce them  into  this  country,  but  whence  they  originally  came, 
I  know  not. 

In  former  times,  a  brace  of  terriers  uwd  to  accompany  every 
pack  of  foxhounds,  for  the  sake  of  unkennelling  Reynard,  in 
the  event  of  his  taking  to  earth.  This  attendance  has  long 
been  discontinued,  as  being  no  longer  necessary,  the  fox  be- 
ing now  run  into  too  rapidly  to  admit  of  his  giving  the  gallant 
terriers  this  trouble  ;  some  recent  wriFers  do  not  appear  aware 
of  this  circumstance,  but  gravely  furnish  us  with  long  extracts 
from  Daniel,  &c.,  relative  to  this  now  obsolete  practice. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE    NEWFOUNDLAND    GROUP,    OR    WOLF-DOGS. 

I  AM  compelled  thus  arbitrarily  to  give,  perhaps,  an  unde- 
served name  to  the  present  group,  but  it  is  the  only  one  by 
means  of  which  I  can  accurately  indicate  the  family  of  dogs 
to  which  I  refer.  The  individuals  of  which  this  group  is 
composed,  bear,  all  of  them,  a  greater  or  less  resemblance  to 
the  wolf,  in  erect  or  semi-erect  ears — in  long  and  shaggy 
coats,  and  bushy  tails.  The  Newfoundland  dog  is  fully  en- 
titled to  be  placed  at  the  head  of  the  group ;  from  his  being 
better  known  than  the  others,  from  his  greater  beauty,  his 
ingacity,  nobility  of  nature  and  disposition,  his  utility  to  man- 


NATURAL    HI?, TORY    OF    THE    DOG.  87' 

Kind,  and  the  high  degree  of  estimation  in  which  he  is  held 
in  every  part  of  the  world  where  he  is  known. 

Those  who  have  grouped  these  dogs  with  the  Spaniels,  are 
in  error,  for  they  possess  none  of  the  characteristics  of  that 
group. 

THE    NEWFOUNDLAND    DOG. 

The  true  breed  of  Newfoundland  is  a  dog  of  moderate  sta- 
ture, seldom  exceeding  twenty-six  or  twenty-seven  inches  in 
height ;  long-bodied,  broad-chested,  shaggy  coat,  pointed),  wolf- 


ish muzzle,  ears  small,  and  inclined  to  be  semi-erect ;  color 
usually  black,  with  a  shade  of  brown  through  it,  and  occasion- 
ally some  white.  There  is  another  breed  of  dog  peculiar  to 
Newfoundland ;  short-coated,  and  sharp-nosed — an  excellent 
\v?,ter-dog,  by  some  mistaken  for  the  true  Newfoundland 
breed. 

The  large  dogs,  usually  known  as  Newfoundland  in  this 
country,  are  evidently  the  result  of  a  cross  with  the  mastiff. 
They  are  a  fine  showy  animal,  but  less  sagacious,  less  active, 
and  more  apt  to  display  irregularity  of  temper  than  the  origi- 
nal breed  ;  these  often  attain  the  height  of  thirty  inches.* 

*  These  large  dogs  are  rapidly  becoming  the  peculiar  breed  of  New- 
foundland, and  dogs  of  this  sort  are  gladly  imported,  whereas  our  New- 
foundland friends  have  now  little  or  nothing  but  curs  to  offer  in  return. 


§8  NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG. 

In  his  native  country,  the  Newfoundland  dog  meets  with 
worse  than  indifferent  treatment ;  during  winter,  he  is  ill-fed, 
and  most  severely  worked ;  his  employment  consisting  of 
drawing  heavy  loads  of  timber — an  employment  so  severe, 
that  many  dogs  are  worn  out,  and  perish  from  exhaustion,  be- 
fore winter  is  over.  When  summer  approaches,  and  the  oc- 
cupation of  the  natives  changes  to  fishing,  the  poor  dogs  are 
turned  adrift,  to  shift  for  themselves. 

The  origin  of  this  dog  is  questionable,  but  I  am  disposed  to 
trace  him  to  a  large  European  variety,  still  in  use  among  th? 
Norwegians,  for  the  chase  of  the  bear  and  wolf.  It  is  now 
well  known  that  the  original  discovery  of  Newfoundland  is  to 
be  attributed  to  the  Norwegians,  who,  before  the  year  1000, 
sailed  from  Greenland  on  a  voyage  of  discovery,  and  that  the 
same  people  discovered  North  America  some  time  between 
the  tenth  and  eleventh  centuries. — Lond.  Geogr.  Jour.  vol. 
viii.  At  the  same  time,  I  have  no  wish  to  deny  that  this 
breed  of  dogs  may  have  been  since  modified,  by  crossing  with 
the  Esquimaux  and  Labrador  varieties. 

The  Newfoundland  dog  has  long  been  famed  for  his  aquatic 
powers,  and  many  human  lives  have,  from  time  to  time,  been 
saved  by  him.  It  is  not  long  since  ten  of  the  true  breed  were 
imported  into  Paris,  and  employed  in  watching  the  banks  of 
the  Seine — experienced  trainers  being  daily  employed  in 
teaching  them  to  draw,  from  the  water,  stuffed  figures  of  men 
and  children  :  handsome  kennels  have  been  erected  for  them 
on  the  bridges,  and  they  have  already  proved  their  utility,  in 
saving  a  number  of  poor  perishing  human  creatures  from  a 
watery  death.  I  recollect  a  noble  dog  of  this  breed,  the  proper- 
ty of  Professor  Dunbar,  of  Edinburgh,  which  was  accustomed 
to  go  out  with  the  young  people,  in  the  capacity  of  a  protector, 
and  a  most  efficient  one  he  proved  himself,  suffering  neither 
man  nor  brute  to  approach  his  charge.  This  dog,  also,  was 
accustomed  to  apply  to  the  bell  at  his  master's  gale,  when  it 
happened  to  be  shut,  and  he  desired  admittance.  The  true 
Newfoundland  dog  has  been  frequently  used  as  a  retriever, 
and  is  remarkable  for  his  fearless  manner  of  penetrating  the 
thickest  cover.  I  shall  close  my  account  of  the  Newfound- 
land, with  the  following  lines  from  Lord  Byron's  beautiful 
epitaph  on  his  favorite  "  Boatswain  :" — 

"  The  poor  dog  !  in  life  the  firmest  friend, 
The  first  to  welcome,  foremost  to  defend  ; 
Whose  honest  heart  is  still  his  master's  own — 
Who  labors,  fights,  lives,  breathes  for  him  alone." 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG.  89 

The  true  breed  is  about  twenty-six  hiohes  in  height  at  the 
shoulder. 

THE  LABRADOR  DOG. 

This  is  a  much  larger  animal  than  the  preceding,  standing 
from  twenty  eight  to  thirty  inches  in  height ;  his  muzzle  Is 


shorter  and  more  truncated,  the  upper  lip  more  pendulous, 
the  coat  coarser,  and  the  whole  dog  presenting  far  more 
marks  of  great  strength  than  the  Newfoundland. 

The  following  are  the  measurements  of  a  dog  of  this 
breed,  given  in  "  Knight's  Weekly  Volume  :" — "  Total 
length,  including  the  tail,  six  feet  three  inches ;  height  at 
the  shoulder,  two  feet  six  inches  ;  length  of  headx  from  oc- 
ciput to  point  of  nose,  eleven  inches  ;  circumference  of  chest, 
three  feet  one  inch.  In  Labrador,  these  large  dogs  are  used 
in  drawing  sledges  loaded  with  wood,  and  are  of  great 
service  to  the  settlers." 

The  finest  specimen  of  the  Labrador  dog  that  I  have  ever 
seen,  is  Hollo,  property  of  Lady  Bellew,  lady  of  Sir  Patrick 
BeJlew,  of  Barmeath,  whose  baronetcy  is  the  oldest  in  Ireland. 
Rollo  stands  above  twenty-nine  inches  in  height  at  the 
shoulder.  As  \ve  have  given  a  faithful  portrait  of  him,  de- 
scription  is  unnecessary. 

THE  LABRADOR  SPANIEL,  OR  LESSER  LABRADOR  DOG. 

This  dog  presents  an  appearance  intermediate  between  the 
Newfoundland  dog  and  the  Land  Spaniel ;  he  is  generally 

8* 


PC  NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG. 

called  by  the  above  name,  but  whether  or  not  he  is  fully  en 
titled  to  it,  is  in  my  judgment  at  least  questionable.  These 
dogs  are  remarkable  for  their  diving  powers.  I  saw  one 
some  years  ago  with  an  officer,  who  was  quartered  at  Porto- 
bello  Barracks,  Dublin,  which  dived  repeatedly  to  the  bottom 
of  the  canal,  between  the  locks,  when  full  of  water,  and 
fetched  up  such  stones,  &c.,  as  were  thrown  in.  I  subjoin 
the  following  anecdote,  on  the  authority  of  Saunders's  News- 
letter, in  which  paper  it  appeared,  of  date  September  21, 
1846.  I  can  only  observe,  that  if  strictly  true,  it  places 
the  sagacity  and  gratitude  of  this  dog  in  a  most  interesting 
light:— 

"  PEELER,  THE  DOG  OF  THE  POLICE. — During  the  recent  in- 
vestigation relative  to  the  manner  in  which  the  policeman 
came  by  his  death  at  Kingstown,  a  little  active  and  inquisi- 
tive dog,  of  the  Labrador  breed,  was  seen  from  time  to  time 
during  each  day  running  in  and  out  of  the  room  as  if  he 
toek  a  personal  interest  in  the  inquiry.  The  dog  was  ad- 
mired, and  a  gentleman  in  the  police  establishment  was 
asked  to  whom  it  belonged.  '  Oh,'  said  he,  '  don't  you  know 
him  ?  we  thought  every  one  knew  Peeler,  the  dog  of  the 
police.'  The  gentleman  then  proceeded  to  give  the  inter- 
rogator the  history  of  this  singular  dog.  It  appeared  from 
the  story,  that  a  few  years  ago  poor  little  Peeler  tempted  the 
canine  appetite  of  a  Mount  St.  Bernard,  or  Newfoundland 
dog,  and  was  in  peril  of  being  swallowed  up  by  him  for  a 
luncheon,  when  a  policeman  interposed,  and  with  a  blow  of 
his  baton,  levelled  the  assailant,  and  rescued  the  assailed. 
From  that  time  '  Peeler'  has  united  his  fortunes  with  those  of 
the  police  ;  wherever  they  go,  he  follows  ;  whether  pacing 
with  measured  tread  the  tedious  '  beat,'  or  engaged  in  the  en- 
ergetic duty  of  arresting  a  disturber  of  the  public  peace. 
He  is  a  self-constituted  general-superintendent  of  the  police, 
visiting  station  after  station,  and  after  he  has  made  his  ob- 
servations in  one  district,  wending  his  way  to  the  next.  He 
is  frequently  seen  to  enter  a  third  class  carriage  at  the 
Kingstown  Railway,  get  out  at  Black  Rock,  visit  the  police 
station  there,  continue  his  tour  of  inspection  to  Booterstown, 
reach  there  in  time  for  the  train  as  before,  and  go  on  to 
Dublin  to  take  a  peep  at  the  '  metropolitans  ;'  and  having 
satisfied  himself  that  '  all  is  right,'  return  by  an  early  even- 
ing train  to  Kingstown.  He  sometimes  takes  a  dislike  to  an 
individual,  and  shuns  him  as  anxiously  as  he  wags  his  tail  at 
the  approach,  and  frisks  about  the  feet  of  another  for  whom 


NATURAL   HISTORY    OF   THE    DOG.  01 

he  has  a  regard.  There  is  one  man  in  the  force  for  whom 
he  has  this  antipathy ;  and  a  day  or  two  ago,  seeing  him  in 
'  the  train,'  he  left  the  carriage,  and  waited  for  the  next,  pre- 
ferring A  delay  of  half  an  hour,  to  such  company ;  and 
when  the  bell  rang,  with  the  eagerness  with  which  protracted 
.joy  is  sought,  he  ran  to  his  accustomed  seat  in  '  the  third 
class.'  His  partiality  for  the  police  is  extraordinary ;  where- 
ever  he  sees  a  man  in  the  garb  of  a  constable,  he  expresses 
his  pleasure  by  walking  near  him,  rubbing  against  and 
dancing  about  him  ;  nor  does  he  forget  him  in  death,  for  he 
was  at  his  post  in  the  funeral  of  Daly,  the  policeman  who 
was  killed  in  Kingstown.  He  is  able  to  recognise  a  few  in 
plain  clothes,  but  they  must  have  been  old  friends  of  his. 
Wherever  he  goes,  he  gets  a  crust,  a  piece  of  meat,  a  pat  on 
the  head,  or  a  rub  down  upon  his  glossy  back,  from  the  hand 
of  a  policeman  ;  and  he  is  as  well  known  among  the  body  as 
any  man  in  it.  We  have  heard  of  the  dog  of  Montargis, 
the  soldier's  dog,  the  blind  beggar's  dog,  and  the  dog  of  the 
monks  of  St.  Bernard,  and  been  delighted  by  stories  of  their 
fidelity  and  sagacity,  but  none  are  more  interesting  than 
'  Peeler,  the  dog  of  the  Police,'  *  whose  heart,  enlarged  with 
gratitude  to  one,  grows  bountiful  to  all.'  ' 

THE    ITALIAN    OR    PYRENEAN    WOLF-DOG, 

Called,  also,  the  Calabrian,  and  shepherd's  dog  of  the 
Abruzzo.  These  dogs  stand  about  twenty-nine  or  thirty 
inches  in  height  at  the  shoulder,  are  usually  of  a  white 
color,  with  one  or  two  patches  of  a  buff  or  tan  color  on  the 
head  or  sides  ;  the  ears  are  not  hairy,  and  are  half  erect ; 
when  pendent,  you  may  suspect  a  cross  of  Newfoundland ; 
the  tail  is  very  bushy,  and  is  carried,  in  a  curl,  close  over 
the  back  ;  the  nose  is  pointed,  and  the  general  aspect  of  the 
head  wolfish.  They  are  the  sheep-dogs  of  the  Italian  and 
Spanish  shepherds,  but  they  are  rather  guardians  than  herd- 
dogs.  The  chief  occasion  of  their  usefulness  is  in  summer, 
when  the  wolves  are  abundant  on  the  hills,  but  are  of  less 
value  in  winter,  when  the  shepherds  with  their  flocks  de- 
scend into  the  plains. 

Doctor  Barker,  of  Cumberland-street,  Dublin,  had  lately 
a  very  fine  specimen  of  the  Pyrenean  wolf-dog,  since,  how- 
ever, unfortunately,  deceased.  This  dog  has  been  very 
strangely  confounded,  by  Mr.  Youatt,  with  the  old  Irish 
wo^f-dog.  At  page  66,  under  the  head  of  the  "  Italian  01 


92  NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG. 

Pomeranian  Wolf-dog,"  he  says — "  The  Wolf-dog  is  no 
longer  a  native  of  Great  Britain,  because  his  services  are 
not  required  there,  but  he  is  useful  in  various  parts  of  the 
Continent,  in  the  protection  of  the  sheep  from  the  attacks  of 
the  wolf."  Mr.  Youatt  is  also  incorrect  in  calling  this  the 
"  Pomeranian" — the  true  Pomeranian  being,  as  I  shall  show  , 
a  very  different  animal.  At  page  40,  speaking  of  the  Irish 
wolf-dog,  Mr.  Youatt  again  confounds  him  with  the  dog 
at  present  under  consideration.  I  shall  have  to  advert  10 
more  mistakes  Mr.  Youatt  lias  made  relative  to  the  va- 
rieties of  dog ;  and  I  am  sorry  to  be  compelled  to  do  so,  his 
volume  being  so  valuable  for  its  physiological  and  pathologi- 
cal details. 

THE    POMERANIAN    DOG, 

By  some  writers  confounded  with  the  last  described,  is  a 
small  dog,  of  usually  a  white  color.  In  stature,  it  is  under 
twenty  inches  at  the  shoulder  ;  its  ears  are  perfectly  erect, 
like  those  of  a  fox,  and  the  tail  is  not  fringed  like  that  of  the 
Pyrenean  dog,  but  bushed  all  round  like  that  of  the  fox. 
This  is  often  called  the  "  fox-dog,"  from  its  resemblance  to 
that  animal. 

There  is  a  small  Chinese  variety  of  dog,  so  closely  re- 
sembling the  Pomeranian,  (except  in  color,  being  usually 
yellow  or  black,)  that  they  cannot  be  distinguished  from  one 
another.  I  knew  an  officer  in  Edinburgh,  about  ten  or 
twelve  years  ago,  who  had  in  his  possession  two  of  these 
Chinese  dogs,  one  of  which  was  remarkable  for  his  com- 
bative  powers,  frequently  conquering  dogs  of  treble  his  own 
size  and  force.* 

THE    HARE    INDIAN    DOG. 

First  described  by  Dr.  Richardson,  and  found  by  that  emi- 
nent naturalist  on  the  Mackenzie  River.  It  is  of  small  size, 
and  slenderly  made,  with  broad,  erect  ears,  sharp  at  the  tips ; 
the  tail  is  pendent,  with  a  slight  curve  upwards,  near  the  tip. 
These  resemble  the  preceding  dog  in  size,  and  somewhat  in 
appearance,  and  their  resemblance  to  the  fox  is  also  consider- 

*  These  are  the  dogs  used  as  food  by  the  natives.  There  are  regular 
dog-butchers  in  most  of  the  Chinese  towns,  and  dog's  flesh,  especially 
roasted,  is  held  in  high  esteem.  It  is  not  long  since,  that  not  only  was 
"  roasted  dog"  regarded  as  the  very  quintessence  of  good  living,  but  that, 
like  "  lively  turtle"  among  us,  its  promised  appearance  at  the  board  wa» 
regularly  announced  as  an  attraction  to  the  invited  guests. 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG.  93 

able.  One  which  Dr.  Richardson  had  in  his  possession,  and 
which  was  accustomed  to  follow  his  sledge,  was  killed  and 
eaten  by  one  of  his  Indian  guides,  who  stated  that  he  mistook 
it  for  a  fox.~  The  feet  of  this  dog  are  large,  spread,  and 
thickly  clothed  with  fur,  in  consequence  of  which  he  can  run 
upon  the  snow  with  rapidity  and  ease,  without  sinking.  In  their 
native  country,  these  dogs  never  bark  ;  in  confinement  the}'  do 


It  would  be,  perhaps,  somewhat  negligent,  on  my  part,  were 
I  not  to  describe,  in  this  place,  a*very  curious-looking  dog, 
apparently  belonging  to  the  Esquimaux,  or  Greenland  breed, 
lately  exhibited  in  London,  and  since  figured  and  described  in 
The  Pictorial  Times.  This  dog  was  completely  clothed  in 
plated  armor,  composed  of  some  kind  of  horny  substance,  the 
result,  I  imagine,  of  a  depraved  growth  of  hair.  I  did  not  see 
this  dog  myself,  or  perhaps  I  might  be  able  to  speak  more  de- 
cidedly as  to  the  real  nature  of  his  very  singular  clothing  : 
perhaps  it  was  the  result  of  a  disease  analogous  to  that  ter- 
rible one  occasionally  presented  in  human  creatures,  and 
known  as  "  Plique  Polonaise,"  (Polish  plait.)  Of  course  it  is 
unnecessary  for  me  to  remark,  that  this  appearance  is  mere- 
ly accidental,  and  that  no  known  variety  of  dog  possesses  ha- 
bitually such  a  covering. 

THE    ESQUIMAUX    DOG. 

About  the  size  of  a  large  Newfoundland  ;  hair  long,  straight, 
and  coarse  ;  tail  bushy,  curling  over  the  back ;  ears  erect 
and  pointed  :  in  general  aspect  he  closely  resembles  the  wolf. 
This  is  a  remarkably  good-tempered  and  intelligent  animal  ; 
in  his  native  country,  I  need  scarcely  inform  my  readers  that 
he  answers  the  purposes  of  a  horse,  being  employed  in  draught. 
They  are  active,  swift,  and  enduring. 

/ 

THE    SIBERIAN    DOG 

Is  large,  wolfish,  and  powerful.  The  ears  are  rounded  at 
the  tips,  like  those  of  a  bear ;  the  color  is  usually  grayish,  and 
the  tail  resembles  a  fox's  brush. 

THE    KAMTSCHATKA    DOG 

Is  like  the  preceding,  but  smaller,  and  the  tips  of  the  ears 
drop.  These  dogs  are  remarkable  for  instinctively  returning 
to  their  master  at  the  period  when  they  are  annually  required 


94  NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG. 

for  the  sledge.  They  are  generally  badly  used  by  their  un- 
feeling masters,  and  appear  conscious  of  it,  and  anxious  for 
vengeance,  not  un frequently  purposely  overturning  the  sledge. 

THE    ICELAND    DOG. 

About  the  size  of  the  Kamtschatkan,  but  coated  and  col- 
ored like  the  Esquimaux.  It  is  said  by  Colonel  H.  Smith  to 
have  been  brought  to  Iceland  by  the  Norwegians,  and  he  sup- 
poses it  to  have  been  originally  obtained  from  the  Skrelings, 
or  Esquimaux,  by  the  adventurers  who  first  visited  Green- 
land. 

THE    GREENLAND    DOG. 

This  is  a  variety  of  the  Esquimaux,  but  is  smaller.  Its  col- 
ors are  usually  gray  and  white.  It  is  very  hardy,  and  endu- 
ring, and  five  of  these  dogs  will  draw  a  heavily-laden  sledge, 
at  a  rapid  rate. 

THE  LAPLAND  DOG 

Is  thus  described  by  Clarke,  ("  Scandinavia,"  vol.  i.  page 
432  :) — "  We  had  a  valuable  companion  in  a  dog  belonging  to 
one  of  the  boatmen.  It  was  of  the  true  Lapland  breed,  and 
in  all  respects  similar  to  a  wolf,  excepting  the  tail,  which  was 
bushy  and  curled,  like  those  of  the  Pomeranian  race.  This 
dog,  swimming  after  the  boat,  if  his  master  merely  waved  his 
hand,  would  cross  the  lake  as  often  as  he  pleased,  carrying 
half  his  body  and  the  whole  of  his  head  and  tail  out  of  the 
water.  Wherever  he  landed,  he  scoured  all  the  long  grass 
by  the  side  of  the  lake,  in  search  of  wild  fowl,  and  came  back 
to  us,  bringing  wild  ducks  in  his  mouth  to  the  boat,  and  then, 
having  delivered  his  prey  to  his  master,  he  would  instantly 
set  off  again  in  search  of  more." 

.    ,  THE  SHEPHERD'S  DOG,  OR  COLLEY. 

The  genuine  original  Shepherd's  dog  is  now  nearly  alto- 
gether confined  to  Scotland,  where  he  is  called  the  "  Colley.'' 
He  stands  about  twenty-one  inches  in  height  at  the  shoulder  ; 
is  very  gracefully  shaped  ;  muzzle  pointed  ;  ^ars  half  erect  \ 
coat  long,  but  fine  and  silky  ;  tail  and  hams  fringed  with  hair , 
color  usually  black  and  tan,  or  sandy  yellow. 

This  animal  is  remarkable  for  his  sagacity ;  and  his  dispo- 
sition to  tend  sheep  appears  to  be  inherent  and  hereditary, 
The  late  lamented  Hogg,  better  known  as  the  "  Ettrick  Shep 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG.  95 

herd,"  had  a  dog  of  this  breed,  named  Sirrah,  to  whom,  from 
his  extraordinary  intelligence,  one  would  almost  be  disposed 


to  allow  the  possession  of  reason.  Mr.  Hogg  has  immortal- 
ized his  favorite ;  and  perhaps  the  following  anecdote  may 
not  prove  uninteresting  to  the  reader : — 

One  night,  a  large  flock  of  lambs  that  were  under  the 
shepherd's  charge,  startled  at  something,  scampered  away  in 
three  different  directions  across  the  hills,  despite  his  efforts  to 
keep  them  together.  "Sirrah,"  said  the  shepherd,  "they're 
awa !" 

It  was  too  dark  for  dog  and  master  to  see  each  other  at  any 
distance  apart ;  but  "  Sirrah"  understood  him,  and  set  off  af- 
ter the  fugitives.  The  night  passed  on,  and  Hogg  and  his 
assistant  traversed  every  neighboring  hill  in  anxious  but  fruit- 
less search,  but  could  hear  nothing  of  either  lambs  or  dog ; 
and  he  was  returning  to  his  master  with  the  doleful  intelli- 
gence that  his  charge  were  lost.  "  On  our  way  home,  how- 
ever," says  he,  "  we  discovered  a  lot  of  lambs  at  the  bottom 
of  a  deep  ravine,  called  the  'Flesh  Cleuch,'  and  the  indefati- 
gable Sirrah  standing  in  front  of  them,  looking  round  for  some 
relief,  but  still  true  to  his  charge." 

THE  SHEPHERD'S  DOG  OF  ENGLAND 

Is  larger  and  stronger  than  the  preceding,  and  has  nvach 
of  the  appearance  of  a  cross  with  the  great  rough  water-dig. 


96  NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG. 

It  is  coarser  in  the  muzzle  and  in  coat,  and  is  destitute  of  tail. 
In  sagacity,  however,  I  believe  it  is  fully  equal  to  its  more  nor- 
them  relative. 

THE  SHEPHERD'S  DOG  OF  FRANCE. 

This  dog  is  not  to  be  confounded  with  the  MATIN.  He  re- 
sembles, in  form,  size,  and  disposition,  the  common  sheep-dog 
of  England,  and,  like  that  animal,  usually  possesses  little  or  no 
tail.  Mr.  Whyte  Baker  has  favored  me  with  the  following 
interesting  notice  of  this  dog  : — "  In  France,  where,  from  the 
absence  of  fences,  the  dogs  are  placed  in  care  of  the  various 
flocks,  it  is  usual  for  these  animals,  at  the  bidding  of  their  mas- 
ter, to  keep  ranging  round  their  charge,  from  flock  to  flock,  till 
he  calls  them  off  again.  In  one  case  this  was  forgotten,  and 
the  faithful  animal  continued  his  rounds  till  he  died  of  the  fa- 
tigue ! — a  parallel  case  among  animals  to  the  celebrated  one 
among  the  human  kind,  of  the  French  admiral's  son  in  the 
ship  « Orient,'  at  the  Battle  of  the  Nile — the  theme  of  Mrs. 
Heman's  beautiful  song,  'Casabianca.'  ' 

THE  DROVER'S  DOG 

Is  larger  than  the  colley,  and  seems  to  have  sprung  from  a 
cross  with  the  lurcher.  He  is  as  sagacious  as  the  shepherd's 
dog,  but  more  courageous  ;  and  will  pin  and  pull  down  a  bul- 
lock in  a  moment,  if  directed  to  do  so  by  his  master. 

THE    CUR-DOG 

Is  the  colley  mongreUzed.  He  is  a  bully  and  a  coward,  and 
is  very  fond  of  running  after  the  heels  of  a  horse ;  but,  with 
all  his  faults,  is  the  best  watch-dog  in  existence,  and  is,  on  that 
account,  valuable  to  the  poor  cottager,  of  whose  humble  dwell- 
ing he  is  ever  a  faithful  guardian. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE    SPANIELS. 


THE  beautiful  lace  at  which  we  are  now  arrived,  is  one  of 
ewiecial  celebrity ;  and  is  peculiarly  endeared  to  us  from  this 


NATURAL   HISTORY    OF   THE    DOG.  97 

nany  intellectual  and  moral  qualities  by  which  it  is  character- 
ized, and  from  its  sagacity  and  affection.  As  the  shepherd's 
dog  is  the  faithful  friend  of  those  in  the  humbler  walks  of 
life,  so  are  the  Spaniels  to  "  chiefs  and  ladies  bright" — to  the 
gentler  sex, par  excellence,  and  to  those  high  in  "honor  and  in 
place."  Examples  of  the  good  qualities  of  these  dogs  are 
everywhere  notorious.  As  the  shepherd's  dog  represents  the 
"utile,"  so  may  these  represent  the  "dulce."  The  former, 
the  rough  and  honest  comrade  of  the  rough  and  honest 
peasant — the  latter,  the  associate  of  luxurious  courtiers,  and 
of  powerful  princes ;  but  still,  though  moving  amidst  tinsel 
and  falsehood,  never  losing  the  primitive  honesty  and  purity 
of  intention  which  characterizes  its  disposition. 

Spaniels  are  of  several  sub-varieties,  amongst  which  I  may 
enumerate 

THE    SETTER,    OR    LAND-SPANIEL. 

This  Spaniel  was  first  broken  in  to  set  partridges,  and  other 
feathered  game,  as  an  assistant  to  the  net,  by  Dudley,  Duke 
of  Northumberland,  A.  D.  1335 ;  and  Mr.  Daniel,  in  "  Rural 
Sports,"  gives  a  copy  of  a  document,  dated  1685,  in  which  a 
yeoman  binds  himself,  for  ten  shillings,  to  teach  a  Spaniel  to 
set  partridges  and  pheasants.  That  the  Setter  and  the  old 
original  Land-spaniel  are  identical,  there  can,  therefore,  be 
no  doubt. 

There  are  several  varieties  of  Setter.  The  ordinary  old 
English  Setter,  with  rather  a  square  head  and  heavy  chops, 
looking  as  if  he  had  a  dash  of  Spanish  pointer  in  him ;  color 
usually  liver  and  white.  The  Irish  Setter,  narrower  in  the 
head,  finer  in  the  muzzle,  usually  of  a  dun  or  yellow  color. 
This  is  a  dog  in  very  high  esteem ;  no  trace  of  the  pointer  is 
seen  in  him.  These  are  the  genuine,  unmixed  descendants 
of  the  original  Land-spaniel ;  and  so  highly  valued  are  they, 
that  a  hundred  guineas  is  by  no  means  an  unusual  price  for  a 
single  dog.  A  very  superior  breed  of  these  dogs,  belonging 
to  Sir  John  Blunden,  Bart.,  of  Castle  Blunden,  in  the  County 
Kilkenny,  is  described  and  figured  in  a  work  published  some 
time  ago,  by  Jennings,  London.  There  was  also  a  celebrated 
breed  of  these  dogs — now,  I  believe,  extinct — kept  by  that 
ancient  and  noble  Irish  family,  the  O'Conors  of  OfFaly  :  those 
belonging  to  the  late  Maurice  O 'Conor  were  highly  renowned, 
and  the  breed  is  described  by  his  grandson  as  yet  remaining. 

The  Scotch  Setter  stands  high  on  his  legs  ;  is  usually  black 
and  tan  in  color ;  has  the  apex  of  the  skull  very  prominent ; 

9 


98  NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DO(y. 

the  hair  long  and  silky ;  the  tail  well  fringed  and  fan-line  , 
and  is  altogether  a  very  beautiful  dog.  He  is  somewhat 
quarrelsome,  however,  and  of  a  forgetful  disposition ;  whence 
he  is  not  only  hard  to  break,  but,  in  general,  requires  & 
repetition  of  the  lesson  at  the  commencement  of  each  season. 

The  black  Setter  is  a  scarce  dog  ;  very  beautiful  and  verj 
stanch.  I  saw  lately  a  superb  brace  in  Dublin,  the  property 
of  Mr.  Maziere. 

The  Setter  is  by  some  sportsmen  preferred  to  the  pointer, 
and  where  water  is  to  be  got  at  occasionally,  during  a  day's 
shooting,  there  can  be  no  doubt  of  his  superiority.  He  cannot, 
however,  work  without  a  drink  so  long  as  the  pointer  can,  al- 
though if  he  can  obtain  a  sufficient  supply,  he  can  work  still 
longer  than  that  dog.  In  disposition,  the  Setter  is  more  affec- 
tionate and  more  attached  to  his  master,  individually,  than  the 
pointer  is.  He  requires  more  training  than  the  latter  dog  ; 
but  that  training  must  be  of  a  very  mild  and  gentle  descrio. 
tion,  lest  the  dog  be  blinked  or  spirit-broken. 

THE    WATER-SPANIEL. 

The  genuine  Water-spaniel  is  strongly  and  compactly 
formed ;  the  nose  fine ;  the  forehead  high ;  apex  of  the  heac 


very  prominent,  and  furnished  with  a  tuft  or  top-knot  of  hair; 
eara  very  long,  and  deeply  fringed  ;  color  brown  j  coat  curl- 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG.  99 

ed  all  over  the  body,  in  close,  crisp  curls  ;  the  tail  not  fringed, 
but  covered  with  close  curls  to  the  point.  The  smallest 
speck  of  white  may  be  regarded  as  indicative  of  foul 
breeding. 

There  is  also  a  Mack  Water-spaniel.  I  jaw  several  in 
Edinburgh,  but  I  do  not  find  them  common  anywhere  else. 
Some  (and  Mr.  Youatt  amongst  others)  describe  two  varieties 
of  Water-spaniel — a  large  and  a  small ;  but  the  fact  is,  that 
we  might  describe  two  dozen  varieties — the  variations  depend- 
ing on  size  and  color  only,  the  results  of  whims  or  fancies  on 
the  part  of  breeders,  who,  resorting  to  crosses,  have  produced 
so  many  aberrations  from  the  pure  and  original  breed,  which 
is  that  I  have  just  described. 

The  Water-spaniel,  however,  is  much  improved  in  beauty 
by  intermixture  with  the  /and  variety.  A  female  of  this  kind 
named  "  Duck,"  which  we  have  figured,  is  in  possession  of 
Mr.  Macneil,  the  well-known  and  justly-esteemed  musical 
instrument  maker,  Capel-street,  (Dublin,)  and  is  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  and  affectionate  creatures  I  have  ever  seen. 
Macneil  reflects  credit  on  "Irish  manufacture;"  but  I  pre- 
sume that  he  and  his  establishment  are  too  well  known  to  re- 
quire further  eulogy.  Many  prefer  a  medium,  or  even  small- 
sized  Water-spaniel,  and  I  confess  that  I  am  of  this  number,  as  J 
conceive  them  better  suited  to  work,  and  more  active  as  re- 
trievers. Some,  on  the  other  hand,  conceive  that  small  size 
is  incompatible  with  strength ;  these  accordingly  take  pains 
to  breed  large  dogs,  and  some  have  even  resorted  to  a  cross 
with  the  Newfoundland  to  effect  this  object ;  a  cross  is,  how- 
ever,  unnecessary — all  that  is  requisite  being  care  in  the  se- 
lection of  such  whelps  as  are  to  be  reared,  and  judicious  pair^ 
ing.  In  proof  of  this  assertion,  I  may  mention  the  dogs  of 
Justin  Macarthy,  Esq.,  of  Dublin,  of  the  highest  possible 
blood,  and  at  the  same  time  little  inferior  to  mastiffs  in  size  and 
strength.  The  Water-spaniel  is,  I  think,  the  most  docile  and 
affectionate  of  the  canine  race,  and  the  best  dog  that  such  as 
require  him  as  a  companion  could  possibly  keep.  He  can  be 
trained  to  do  any  thing  but  speak — an  accomplishment  itself, 
indeed,  that  was,  to  a  limited  extent,  possessed  some  years  ago 
by  a  spaniel  in  Germany,  (Leibnitz,  Opera,  1768.) 

The  Water-spa.niel  is  of  considerable  antiquity,  having 
been  known  to  the  Romans,  as  we  find  him  figured  on  many 
of  their  monuments.  Colonel  H.  Smith  regards  it  as  identi- 
cal with  the  "  Canis  Tuscus,"  praised  by  Nemesian. 

Some  years  ag3  this  dog  was  in  great  repute  iff  Dublin 


100  NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG. 

In  those  days,  duck-hunting  was  a  favorite  amusement ;  i 
used  to  be  practised  in  the  "  brackish  canal,"  near  the  north 
wall,  and  the  brown  Water-spaniel  was  found  superior  to  all 
other  dogs  at  this  sport ;  further,  he  was  soft-mouihed,  and 
did  not  injure  the  duck  when  he  succeeded  in  capturing  her, 
consequently,  the  same  unfortunate  bird  answered  for  a 
second  hunt.  Among  many  other  improvements  that  have 
characterized  the  present  generation,  I  may  observe  that  this 
inhuman  sport  is  no  longer  permitted. 


THE    COCKER 

Is  in  appearance  a  diminutive  land-spaniel,  but  with  a 
shorter  muzzle,  a  more  rounded  head,  and  longer  ears.  He 
is  a  lively,  amusing  little  dog,  and  a  great  favorite  with  the 
fair  sex.  The  use  of  the  Cocker  is  to  spring  woodcocks  and 
pheasants  in  copses  and  thickets  which  larger  dogs  cannot 
enter. 

THE    SPRINGER 

Is  the  same  with  the  cocker,  but  of  somewhat  larger  size 
and  heavier  form.  He  is  less  lively  in  his  movements,  takes 
matters  more  coolly,  and  can,  consequently,  better  stand  a 
hard  day's  work. 

THE    BLENHEIM    SPANIEL. 

Blenheim  Castle,  near  Woodstock,  Oxfordshire,  was  formerly 
the  residence  of  King  Ethelred,  and  since  that,  of  Henry  II., 
as  also  the  birthplace  of  several  princes  of  the  royal  line  of 
England ;  subsequently  the  prison  of  Queen  Elizabeth, 
during  a  portion  of  Queen  Mary's  reign  ;  and  was  after- 
wards  granted  by  Queen  Anne  to  John  Duke  of  Marlborough, 
for  obtaining  illustrious  victories  over  the  French  and  Ba- 
varians, at  the  village  of  Blenheim,  in  Suabia,  A.  D.  1704. 
In  this  superb  mansion  has  been  preserved,  for  the  last 
century  and  a  half,  the  small  red  and  white  spaniel  or  com- 
forter, the  "  Pyrame"  of  Buffon — the  Blenheim  Spaniel  of 
the  present  day. 

THE    KING    CHARLES    SPANIEL 

Is  distinguished  by  the  shortness  of  his  muzzle — the  round 
and  bullet-like  shape  of  his  head — the  prominence  of  his 
Sye — the  length  of  his  ears,  and  his  color,  which  must  be 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DCG.  101 

black  and  tan.  These  were  the  favorite  companions  of  King 
Charles  II.,  and  the  breed  has  since  been  carefully  preserved 
by  the  Duke  of  Norfolk.  Mr.  Youatt  speaks  of  this  breed, 
but  oddly  enough  describes  it  as  the  result  of  a  cross  with 
<he  terrier,  a  dog  from  which  this  breed  differs  far  more  in 


form  than  does  the  common  cocker.  The  present  Duke 
possesses  two  varieties  of  the  King  Charles  breed,  oie  black 
and  tan,  and  of  a  middling  size,  like  the  ordina,  y  fieV  i 
cocker,  and  it  is,  perhaps,  these  to  which  Mr.  Youatt  alludes- 
and  the  other  breed  of  very  diminutive  size,  with  extremely 
long  ears,  and  silky  coat ;  these  latter  sometimes  occur  black 
and  white;  they  are  kept  at  Arundel  Castle,  Sussex,  the 
ancient  seat  of  the  Howard  family.  They  are  admitted  to 
the  apartment  in  which  the  Duke  dines  ;  and  his  grace  has 
been  known  to  select  the  first  cuts  for  them  off  the  joints  of 
which  he  himself  was  partaking.  They  are  introduced 
into  nearly  all  the  family  pictures.  It  is  also  on  record, 
that  James  II.  was  particularly  attached  to  these  Spaniels,  so 
that  they  are  justly  entitled  to  their  appellation  of  "  ROYAL 
RACE." 

In  London,  where  these  two  dogs  are  bred  with  great 
care,  and  to  the  highest  degree  of  perfection,  the  Blenheim 
is  frequently  crossed  with  the  Charles,  so  that  the  variety 
of  color  on  which  the  difference  of  nomenclature  depends, 
often  appears  in  the  same  litter  ;  the  black  and  tan  being 
denominated  "  King  Charles,"  and  the  red  and  white,  "  Blen- 
heim." 

Several  "  Spaniel  Clubs"  have  been  formed  with  a  view 
to  promote  the  careful  breeding  of  these  dogs,  and  of  some 
of  these  His  Royal  Highness  Prince  Albert  is  the  patron, 
both  her  Majesty  and  the  Prince  being  enthusiastic  admirers 


102  NATURAL    HISTOB5T    OF    THE    DOG. 

of  these  beautiful  little  creatures.  His  Royal  Highness  has, 
at  no  sparing  outlay,  erected  a  superb  kennel  for  them  at 
Windsor. 

The  members  of  these  Spaniel  Clubs  subscribe  a  small 
sum  each,  and  with  the  amount  contributed  a  handsome  col- 
lar of  silver,  with  gold  entablature,  is  purchased  ;  a  particular 
day  is  then  named,  and  judges  are  appointed,  when  each 
member  brings  to  the  club-room  a  dog  of  his  own  rearing, 
and  that  dog  adjudged  to  possess  the  greatest  number  of 
good  points,  attains  the  collar  as  a  prize.  Mr.  Nolan,  of 
Bachelor's-walk,  in  Dublin,  has  one  of  these  collars,  and 
his  prize-dog  "  Blouse,"  of  which  we  have  given  a  figure,  is 
admitted  by  all  judges  to  be  far  superior  to  any  thing  of  the 
kind  that  has  ever  been  seen  in  any  part  of  the  British  do- 
minions, or  elsewhere.  Mr.  Nolan  has  refused  most  ex- 
traordinary offers  for  this  dog,  which  he  keeps  as  a  sire. 
No  price  will  tempt  him  to  part  with  his  favorite,  whom, 
however,  I  feel  convinced,  he  will  have  great  pleasure  in 
showing  to  any  admirer  of  the  breed  that  may  call  upon 
him. 

King  'Jharles  and  Blenheim  Spaniels  have  been  known  in 
London  to  fetch  the  price  of  from  150  to  200  guineas!  I 
have  already  detailed  the  points  on  which  excellence  de- 
pends. 

The  keeper  of  a  gaming  house  in  Dublin  had  lately  a 
little  black  and  tan  Spaniel  of  this  breed,  for  which  he  re- 
fused the  sum  of  eighty  guineas  ;  within  a  fortnight  from 
his  refusal,  the  animal  was  run  over  by  a  carriage,  and 
killed  upon  the  spot. 

Both  the  Blenheim  and  King  Charles  breeds  are  remarka- 
bly affectionate  to  their  owners;  they  are  likewise  very 
watchful,  and  in  other  respects  extremely  sagacious.  I 
recollect  reading  an  account  of  one  which  saved  his  sleeping 
master's  life,  by  biting  his  finger,  and  thus  awakening  him 
in  time  to  perceive  that  a  stone  summer  temple  in  which  he 
had  been  reading,  was  tottering,  and  about  to  fall  upon  him : 
catching  the  little  dog  in  his  arms,  he  rushed  hastily  into  the 
open  air,  which  he  had  no  sooner  reached,  than  the  temple 
was  a  mass  of  ruins. 

Both  these  dogs  have  also  been  found  perfectly  fit  foi 
service  in  the  field,  and  if  the  pets  were  occasionally  per- 
mitted to  do  duty  there,  the  race  would  be  greatly  improved 
in  health  and  beauty,  and  considerably  enhanced  in  value. 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE   DOG.  10 

THE    WATER -POG. 
THE    GREAT    ROUGH    WATER-DOG. 

This  is  a  dog  of  considerable  size,  being  about  the  height 
r»'  a  stout  setter,  but  much  more  powerfully  built.  His  coat  is 
long  and  curled  ;  the  head  is  large  and  round  ;  the  frontal 
sinuses  ample ;  ears  long,  and  well  furnished  with  hair ; 
legs  rather  short;  color  usually  brown  and  white,  or  black 
and  white  ;  he  possesses  great  courage  and  sagacity  ;  he  is 
an  excellent  water-dog,  and  well  adapted  to  the  duties  of  a 
retriever  ;  he,  however,  requires  considerable  training  to  in- 
duce him  to  be  tender  of  his  game,  as  he  is  apt  to  drive  in 
his  teeth,  and  consequently  mangle  his  bird. 

This  dog  is  not  to  be  confounded  with  the  poodle  of  either 
France  or  Germany  ;  he  is  a  more  original,  and  a  very  dif- 
ferent dog. 

I  recollect  a  singularly  large  dog  of  this  breed,  about  ten 
years  ago,  in  possession  of  Mr.  Griers-on,  of  N.  Hanover- 
street,  Edinburgh,  near  the  foot  of  the  Mound,  which  was 
possessed  of  unusual  intelligence.  Among  other  eccentrici- 
ties, this  dog  followed  the  profession  of  mendicancy,  and 
regularly  solicited  the  charity  of  the  passers-by.  On  re- 
ceiving a  halfpenny,  his  habit  was,  if  hungry,  to  proceed  at 
once  to  the  shop  of  Mr.  Nelson,  at  the  corner  of  Rose-street, 
and  purchase  a  biscuit  ;  but  it  sometimes  happened  that  he 
put  by  his  halfpence  until  the  calls  of  appetite  returned, 
when  he  would  go  to  his  repository,  take  the  money  to  the 
baker's,  and  make  his  purchase.  A  servant  of  Mr.  Grier- 
son's  accidentally  came  upon  this  sagacious  and  provident 
animal's  hoarding-place  on  one  occasion,  where  were  found 
about  five-pence  halfpenny  in  halfpence.  The  dog  chanced 
to  enter  at  the  moment  of  the  discovery,  and  with  a  growl  of 
displeasure  he  rushed  to  the  spot,  and  snatching  up  his 
wealth,  proceeded  at  full  speed  to  the  shop,  and  dashed  the 
money  on  the  counter,  barking  vehemently  at  the  same 
time,  probably  deeming  it  safer  to  turn  it  into  bread  at  once, 
than  risk  being  robbed  by  keeping  it.  This  dog  was  stuffed 
at  his  death,  and  is  preserved  in  the  Ed.  Mus.  of  Nat.  History. 

THE    POODLE. 

The  Poodle  resembles  the  great  water-dog  in  general  ap- 
pearance, but  may  be  very  easily  disting  fished  from  him  by 


104  NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG. 

the  circumstance  of  his  being  furnished  with  wool  instead  of 
hair.  The  Poodle  is  an  excellent  water-dog,  but  is  not  so 
hardy,  and  consequently  not  capable  of  remaining  in  the 
water  so  long  as  the  preceding  variety  ;  he  is,  however, 
more  active,  more  easily  trained,  and  far  more  tender- 
mouthed.  Mr.  Jesse,  in  his  "  Gleanings,"  mentions  a  Poodle 
belonging  to  a  friend  of  his,  for  whom  correction  was  found 
necessary,  he  being  sometimes  rather  unruly  :  4he  gentleman 
bought  a  whip,  with  which  he  corrected  him  once  or  twice 
when  out  walking  ;  on  his  return  he  left  the  whip  on  the 
hall-table,  and  in  the  morning  it  was  missing.  Having  been 
found  concealed  in  an  out-building,  and,  as  before,  used 
when  occasion  required,  in  correcting  the  dog,  it  was  once 
more  missed  ;  but  on  the  dog,  who  was  suspected  of  having 
stolen  it,  being  watched,  he  was  seen  to  take  it  from  the  hall- 
table,  in  order  to  hide  it  as  before. 

In  a  most  amusing  paper,  entitled  "  Sketches  of  Burschen 
Life,"  published  in  that  excellent  periodical,  THE  DUBLIN 
UNIVERSITY  MAGAZINE,  for  July,  1846,  is  the  following 
laughable  anecdote  of  a  Poodle  and  a  short-sighted  Pro- 
fessor : — 

"  There  was  a  story,  when  we  were  in  Heidelberg,  going 
about  of  a  certain  student  who  had  a  remarkably  fine  white 
Poodle  ;  the  intelligence  and  sagacity  of  the  animal  were  un- 
common, and  as  he  used  daily  to  accompany  his  master  to 
the  lecture-room  of  a  professor,  who  was  not  very  remark- 
able for  the  distinctness  of  his  vision,  he  would  regularly 
take  his  seat  upon  the  bench  beside  his  master,  and  peer  into 
his  book,  as  if  he  understood  every  word  of  it. 

"  One  wet  morning,  the  lecture-room,  never,  at  any  time, 
remarkable  for  its  fulness,  was  deserted,  save  by  the  student 
who  owned  the  Poodle.  The  dog,  however,  had  somehow 
happened  to  remain  at  home. 

" '  Gentlemen,'  said  the  short-sighted  professor,  as  he  com- 
menced his  lecture,  *  I  am  sorry  to  notice,  that  the  very 
attentive  student  in  the  white  coat,  whose  industry  I  have 
not  failed  to  observe,  is,  contrary  to  his  usual  custom,  absent 
to-day !' " 

THE    LITTLE    BARBET 

Is  a  diminutive  poodle,  the  head  being  covered  with  straight 
and  silky  hair — the  rest  of  the  body  having  a  curly  and 
woolly  coat. 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    LOG  105 


THE    LION    DOG 


Has  a  mane  like  a  lion,  the  remainder  of  the  body  having 
close  hair ;  supposed  to  have  sprung  from  a  cross  between 
the  small  barbet  and  naked  Turk  ;  it  is  a  very  rare  variety, 

and  useless. 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE  third  great  group  of  domestic  dogs  may  be  best  re- 
presented  by  the  mastiff,  of  which  dogs,  indeed,  it  is  ex- 
clusively composed.  This  group  and  the  first,  or  that 
represented  by  the  greyhounds, 'present  the  strongest  marks 
of  originality. 

THE    MASTIFFS. 

The  Dog  of  Thibet. 

The  Dog  of  St.  Bernard,  or  Alpine  Mastiff. 

The  Spanish,  or  Cuban  Mastiff. 

The  Bull-dog. 

The  Pug-dog. 

The  British  Mastiff. 

THE    DOG    OF    THIBET. 

Placed  by  Mr.  Youatt  at  the  head  of  the  first  or  grey- 
hound group,  but  in  reality  the  extreme  opposite  to  that 
group,  presenting  all  the  mastiff  attributes  to  a  degree  of  per- 
fection amounting  almost  to  exaggeration  or  caricature. 

The  mastiff  of  Thibet  is  a  dog  of  vast  size,  standing  from 
thirty  to  thirty-three  inches  in  height  at  the  shoulder,  and 
being  bulky  in  proportion.  His  head  is  large  and  broad, 
and  the  divergence  of  the  parietal  bones  is  very  strongly 
marked.  His  lips  are  very  full  and  pendulous,  and  the  skin 
from  the  eyebrows  forms  a  fold  towards  the  outer  edge  of  the 
eyes  ending  in  the  jowl ;  the  neck  is  remarkably  full,  and 
the  chest  is  furnished  with  a  dewlap.  The  usual  color  of 
this  dog  is  black  and  tan  ;  the  coat  is  large  and  rugged  ;  the 
tail  very  bushy,  and  carried  up  over  the  back.  The  *igure 
of  this  noble  dog,  given  in  Mr.  Youatt's  book,  is  very  good, 
and  most  faithfully  depicts  the  animal  it  is  designed  to  repre- 


106 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG, 


sent ;  and  this  renders  it  still  more  singular  that  the  dog  and 
its  description  should  be  so  misplaced  as  at  the  head  of  the 
greyhound  group. 


In  disposition,  the  Thibet  dog  is  said  to  be  very  fierce,  bu 
much  attached  to  his  master.  They  were  originally  noticed 
by  Marco  Polo,  who  described  them  as  being  "  as  large  as 
asses,"  a  description  contradicted  by  some  subsequent  travel- 
lers, but  since  amply  confirmed.  The  probable  cause  of  these 
discrepant  accounts  is,  that  the  Thibet  mastiff  degenerates 
rapidly  if  removed  to  a  milder  climate,  and  several  inferior, 
though  similar  breeds,  exist  in  different  portions  of  the  Him- 
alaya chain  of  mountains. 

The  mastiff  of  Thibet  is  well  figured  in  that  interesting 
work,  "  Gardens  and  Menagerie  of  the  Zoological  Society." 
Colonel  Smith  most  justly  refers  to  this  dog  as  the  typical 
mastiff — the  Canis  Urcanus  described  of  old  by  Oppian. 


THE    DOG    OF    ST.    BERNARD,    OR    ALPINE    MASTIFF. 

So  many  conflicting  accounts  of  this  dog  have  appeared 
from  time  to  time,  that  it  is  impossible  to  trust  to  the  accura- 
cy of  any  of  them  ;  accordingly,  I  have  rejected  all,  and 
Mimed  to  nature  itself — to  the  existing  dogs,  and  thf*  verbal 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG.  107 

•ccounts  of  such  faithworthy  persons  as  have  actually  seen 
them. 


It  is  not  every  one  whose  description  of  a  dog  would  have 
weight  with  me.  He  must  be  a  lover  of  the  race — in  short, 
a  dog-fancier — to  understand  the  animal's  points,  and  hence 
give  a  correct  description.  By  some  writers,  the  St.  Bernard 
dog  is  described  as  a  large  spaniel!  with  soft,  curly  coat,  and 
long,  fringed  ears.  My  esteemed  old  friend,  Captain  Thomas 
Brown,  in  his  very  amusing  "  Anecdotes  of  Dogs,"  actually 
gives  a  figure  of  this  dog,  representing  him  as  a  large  CQcker  ! 
Mr.  Jesse  does  not  describe  the  dog's  appearance  at  all,  and  it 
would  not  be  easy  to  make  out  what  the  figure  is  intended  1o 
represent,  whether,  indeed,  a  dog,  or  some  nondescript  ani- 
mal. Mr.  Martin  places  him  with  the  Newfoundland  and 
Calabrian  dogs,  and,  to  a  certain  extent,  he  is  not  far  astray. 

Colonel  H.  Smith,  (Nat.  Lib.) — and  whose  valuable  work 
seems  to-have  furnished  Mr.  Martin  with  more  than  the  ground- 
work of  his — classes  the  St.  Bernard  dog  also  with  the  wolf- 
dog  group  ;  but  he,  at  the  same  time,  informs  us,  that  more 
than  one  description  of  dog  is  trained  by  the  monks  of  the 
Great  St.  Bernard,  for  their  pious  and  charitable  purposes. 
One  sort  he  describes  as  being  long-coated,  and  resembling 
the  Newfoundland,  and  the  other  as  being  short-coated,  and 
resembling  the  Great  Dane  in  color  and  hair, 

The  animal  figured  by  Colonel  Smith— ~a  dog  belonging  to 


108  NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG. 

Sir  Thomas  Dick  Lauder,  and  stated  by  that  gentleman  t« 
have  been  brought  direct  from  the  Great  St.  Bernard,  by  Sii 
Henry  Dalrymple,  of  North  Berwick — displays  in  his  ap 
pearance  all  the  characteristics  we  might  expect  to  arise  fron, 
a  cross  between  the  short-coated,  mighty  mastiff  of  the  Alps 
and  the  slighter  and  more  hairy  wolf-dog  of  the  Pyrenees  , 
and  such  I  believe  to  have  been  the  cross  whence  that  fine 
animal  sprang. 

I  have,  as  I  have  already  stated,  been  at  considerable  pains 
to  discover  the  true  character  and  history  of  this  noble  breed 
of  dogs  ;  and  the  result  of  my  inquiries  tends  to  show  that 
the  dog  originally  trained  to  this  service,  was  a  large  and 
powerful  mastiff,  short-coated,  deep-jowled,  of  a  yellow  color^ 
with  a  long,  fine  tail.  L'Ami,  who  was  brought,  in  1829, 
from  the  convent  on  the  Great  St.  Bernard,  was  of  this  de- 
scription. He  was  exhibited,  in  both  London  and  Liverpool, 
1o  many  thousand  people,  at  the  charge  of  one  shilling  ad- 
mission. I  was  favored  by  Mr.  Clarke  of  Holborn,  who  lith- 
ographed L' A  mi's  portrait,  and  who  is  himself  an  ardent  fan- 
cier of  dogs,  and  of  this  breed  in  particular,  with  a  full  ac- 
count of  the  true  dogs  of  St.  Bernard,  obtained  by  him  from 
the  very  best  authorities.  A  good  many  years  ago  a  pestilence 
made  its  appearance  amongst  the  dogs  of  the  convent,  and 
all  were  destroyed  save  one  single  specimen.  Under  these 
circumstances,  the  monks  had  no  alternative  but  to  cross  the 
breed,  which  they  did  with  the  Spanish  or  Pyrenean  wolf-dog 
— the  most  likely  cross  to  which  they  could  have  resorted; 
hence  arose  the  race  of  dogs  ordinarily  known  as  St.  Ber- 
nard's. Some  of  the  true  race  have  been  now  restored  ;  but 
they  are  very  scarce,  and  are  not  to  be  possessed  under  enor- 
mous prices  ;  in  fact,  not  to  be  had  from  the  convent  at  all  : 
Mr.  Clarke  being  acquainted  with  a  nobleman  who  offered  one 
hundred  guineas  for  a  brace  of  puppies,  without  success. 
Hence  the  mistakes  arising  from  spurious  dogs,  supposea  to 
be  original,  merely  because  they  came  from  the  mountain. 
Mr.  Youatt  gives  a  very  excellent  figure  of  the  present  most 
common  race  of  St.  Bernard  dogs ;  but,  notwithstanding  the 
figure  he  gives,  persists  in  naming  it  a  spaniel.  Perhaps  the 
finest  of  this  breed  in  existence  is  the  dog  recently  kept  at 
Chatsworth.  I  know  not  whether  it  be  still  living.  It  was 
a  dog  of  amazing  stature,  of  a  yellow  color,  with  a  blacK 
muzzle.  There  is  also  one  at  Elvaston  Castle,  in  Derbyshire, 
fcr  wnich  Lord  Harrington  gave  fifty  guineas.  In  Dublin, 
jiese  oogs  used  to  oe  common.  They  were  introduced  by  a 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    TII£    DOG.  109 

Frenchman,  named  Casserane,  a  butcher  in  Ormond  Market. 
He  had  male  and  female,  and  their  whelps  were  eagerly 
purchased  at  five  guineas  each,  as  soon  as  weaned.  W. 
Flood,  Esq.,  of  Stillorgan,  possesses  a  noble  specimen,  of  which 
we  give  a  figure  ;  and  there  was  also,  until  lately,  a  beauti- 
ful specimen,  named  "  Donna,"  in  possession  of  my  relative, 
John  Richardson,  Esq.,  of  Newington  Terrace,  Rathmines. 
Donna  was  one  of  the  best  water-dogs  I  ever  saw.  She  was 
gentle  ;  but  very  wild  and  playful,  and  her  tremendous  size 
rendered  her  romping  caresses  any  thing  but  agreeable.  My 
relative  went  on  one  occasion  to  bathe,  accompanied  by  Don- 
na, who  watched  the  progress  of  unrobing  with  much  appa- 
rent curiosity.  No  sooner  had  her  master  plunged  into  the 
water,  however,  than  Donna  sprang  after  him,  and,  doubtless 
uneasy  for  his  safety,  seized  him  by  the  shoulder,  and  dragged 
him,  in  spite  of  all  his  resistance — and  he  is  both  a  powerful 
man  and  a  capital  swimmer — with  more  zeal  than  gentleness, 
to  land  ;  nor  could  he  ever  enter  the  water  in  Donna's  pres- 
ence. 

Mr.  Otley,  of  Rathmines,  possesses  a  noble  dog  of  this  breed, 
of  remarkably  large  size  and  striking  appearance  :  and  Mr. 
Bryan  (late  Sheriff  Bryan)  has  a  fine  dog,  which  was  brougl 
some  years  ago  from  the  Alps  direct. 

THE    SPANISH   OR    CUBAN    MASTIFF 

Is  not  to  be  confounded — which  he,  however,  has  been — 
with  the  Spanish  or  Cuban  bloodhound.  This  is  a  totally 
different  dog. 

The  Spanish  or  Cuban  Mastiff  is  a  very  powerfully  built 
dog,  of  from  twenty-six  to  twenty-eight  inches  in  height,  with 
extraordinary  development  of  bone  and  muscle.  His  head  is 
of  prodigious  size,  even  apparently  too  large  in  proportion  to 
his  body  ;  his  eyes  are  placed  very  far  apart ;  his  upper  lip 
pendulous,  but  not  so  much  so  as  in  the  preceding  dog  ;  the 
ear  is  small,  and  not  perfectly  pendulous,  being  erect  at  the 
root,  but  the  tip  falling  over  ;  color  usually  tawny  or  light  ru- 
fus  ;  the  under  jaw  is  also  undershot,  and  I  do  not  think  I  can 
give  my  readers  a  better  idea  of  the  dog,  than  by  describing 
him  as  a  gigantic  bull-dog,  occupying  precisely  the  same  po- 
sition with  regard  to  the  prodigious  mastiff  of  the  Alps,  which 
our  own  British  bull-dog  does  in  reference  to  the  English 
mastiff.  The  Spanish  or  Cuban  Mastiff  is  a  dog  of  great  cour- 
age ;  in  Spain  he  is  used  in  the  combats  of  the  amphitheatre, 

10 


110  NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG. 

and  is  commonly  known  on  the  Continent  as  the  "  Spanish 
bull-dog."  The  dogs  procured  from  Spain  and  Portugal  will 
be  found  to  answer  my  present  description  more  fully  than 
such  as  we  may  now  procure  from  Cuba ;  the  latter  breed 
having,  in  many  instances,  undergone  much  alteration  and 
deterioration  by  crossing  with  the  Cuban  bloodhound.  J.  Ayl- 
rner,  Esq.,  of  5,  Bachelor's  Walk,  Dublin,  has  the  finest  of 
the  breed,  perhaps,  in  Britain.  He  is  frequently  importing 
new  and  perfect  specimens  from  Cadiz  ;  for  doing  which  he 
possesses  peculiar  facilities.  Colonel  H.  Smith  conceives  this 
race  to  have  been  identical  with  the  broad-mouthed  dogs  for 
which  Britain  was  celebrated  during  the  Roman  era;  and 
certainly,  as  this  race'  answers  to  ancient  description  far  better 
/han  our  common  bull-dog,  I  am  disposed  fully  to  concur  with 
him. 

Some  years  ago,  I  saw  a  remarkably  fine  specimen  of  this 
breed,  at  the  Portobello  Gardens,  which  fell  since  into  the 
possession  of  Dr.  Gilgeous,  of  Demerara.  There  was  also  a 
good  specimen  recently  presented  to  our  Zoological  Society, 
by  Sir  George  Preston,  which  is,  I  believe,  still  in  the  Soci- 
ety's gardens. 


THE    BULL-DOG. 

The  British  Bull-dog  is,  when  a  good  dog,  perhaps  one  of 
the  most  courageous  animals  in  existence.  I  am  obliged  to 
qualify  my  meed  of  praise,  however,  as  I  have  myself  seen 
Bull-dogs,  not  merely  of  very  doubtful  courage,  but  absolute- 
ly coiuards.  I  attribute  this  moral  degeneracy  to  the  practice 
of  too  close,  or  "  in  and  in"  breeding — a  practice  certain  to 
prejudice  the  mental  qualifications,  even  though  external  or 
physical  conformation  remain  apparently  the  same. 

Th-e  Bull-dog  needs  little  description :  he  usually  stands 
twenty  inches  in  height — if  smaller,  he  is  so  much  the  more 
highly  esteemed ; — his  head  is  large  and  round  ;  his  eyes 
small  and  far  apart ;  ears  small  and  partly  erect ;  muzzle 
short,  truncated,  and  turned  upwards  ;  under  jaw  projecting 
beyond  the  upper,  displaying  the  lower  incisor  teeth  ;  color 
usually  brindled,  but  white  is  the  fancy  color  ;  party  col- 
ors, as  black  and  white,  &c.,  are  to  be  condemned  ;  his  tail 
must  be  fine  as  a  rush. 

The  Bull-dog  is  remarkable  for  the  obstinacy  with  which 
ie  keeps  his  hold,  suffering  himself  to  be  dismembered — and 
the  merciless  experiment  has,  to  the  disgrace  of  human  na« 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF   THE    DOG.  Ill 

ture,  been  tried  more  than  once — rather  than  quit  it.  He  is 
an  excellent  water-dog,  very  faithful  to  his  master ;  but,  un- 
fortunately, has  become  too  notorious,  from  the  inhuman  and 
blackguard  sports  for  which  he  has  been  generally  used,  to  be 
suffered  to  follow  the  heel  of  any  man  who  does  not  desire  to 
be  set  down  as  a  patron  of  ruffianism  and  infamy. 

The  Bull-dog  is  not  wholly  destitute  of  good  qualities,  as 
some  writers  have  represented  him  to  be.  Besides  his  cour- 
age, he  possesses  strong  attachment  to  his  master.  Mr.  Jes- 
se relates  an  anecdote  of  a  Bull-dog,  that  having  been  accus- 
tomed to  be  his  master's  travelling  companion,  in  his  carriage, 
for  several  years,  on  his  place  being  allotted  to  a  new  favor- 
ite, refused  to  eat,  sickened,  pined,  and  died. 

A  Bull-dog  saved  a  shipwrecked  crew,  by  towing  a  rope 
from  the  vessel  to  the  shore,  after  two  fine  Newfoundland  dogs 
had  perished  in  the  attempt.  I  should  attribute  his  success 
to  his  indomitable  courage,  which  prevented  him  from  giving 
up  his  exertions  while  life  remained. 

THE  PUG. 

This  dog  was  a  sort  of  miniature  of  the  bull-dog,  but  with- 
out his  courage.  His  muzzle  was  usually  black  ;  the  rest  of 
his  body  of  a  buff  color  ;  and  the  tail  curled  tightly  over  the 
hinder  end. 

The  Pug  has  been  replaced,  as  a  lady's  pet,  by  the  more  el- 
egant Italian  greyhound,  and  the  Blenheim  and  King  Charles 
spaniels.  He  is  now  very  rarely  to  be  seen,  and  will  soon 
become  extinct,  if,  indeed,  such  has  not  already  been  his  fate. 

THE    BRITISH    MASTIFF. 

This  dog  appears  to  owe  his  origin  to  a  mixture  of  the  bull- 
dog  of  ancient  Britain  with  the  old  Talbot  hound.  He  is  usu- 
ally of  a  brindled  color,  or  buff,  with  dark  ears  and  muzzle. 
"  Chicken,'-'*  a  dog  belonging  to  the  43d  regiment,  stood  twen- 
ty-nine inches  and  a  half  in  height  at  the  shoulder.  He  was 
very  gentle  to  human  beings,  but  was  not  to  be  trifled  with  by 
his  own  kind  ;  for  on  one  occasion  he  killed  his  brother  in  com- 
bat. Chicken  was  once  passing  up  Union-street,  at  Plymouth, 
when  he  was  beset  by  a  troop  of  curs,  who  at  length  actually 
impeded  him  in  his  walk,  and  excited  his  anger,  on  which  he 
paused,  raised  one  of  his  hind  legs,  and  astonished  them  all. 

*  Colonel  Smith. 


112  NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG. 

The  disposition  of  the  Mastiff  is  characterized  by  courage, 
generosity,  and  forbearance :  even  the  midnight  marauder 
will  be  held  by  him  uninjured,  until  human  aid  arrives,  pro- 
vided he  refrain  from  struggle  or  resistance.  The  attacks 
of  puny  antagonists  are  despised  ;  but  if  they  become  intoler 
able,  the  noble  Mastiff  is  satisfied  with  showing  his  contempt, 
or  inflicting  chastisement  of  rather  a  humiliating  than  a  pain- 
ful nature.  The  story 'of  the  Mastiff  that,  when  greatly  an- 
noyed  by  the  incessant  barking  of  a  little  cur,  took  him  by  the 
back  of  the  neck,  and  dropped  him  over  a  quay  wall  into  the 
river,  is  well  known  ;  but  I  recollect  an  instance  of  this  na- 
ture, when  the  Mastiff,  standing  for  a  moment  contemplating 
the  struggles  of  his  late  tormenter,  and  perceiving  that  the  cur- 
rent was  likely  to  carry  him  away,  actually  sprang  into  the 
water,  and  rescued  him  from  his  dangerous  position. 

Henry  VII.  ordered  a  Mastiff  to  be  hanged,  because  he  had 
singly  coped  with  and  overcome  a  lion  !  And  in  the  reign  of 
Queen  Elizabeth,  when  Lord  Buckhurst  was  ambassador  at 
the  court  of  Charles  IX.,  a  Mastiff  is  said  to  have,  alone  and 
unassisted,  successively  engaged  a  bear,  a  leopard,  and  a  li- 
on, and  pulled  them  all  down.  Stow  relates  an  engagement 
which  took  place,  in  the  reign  of  James  I.,  between  three  mas- 
tiffs and  a  lion.  One  of  the  dogs  being  put  into  the  den,  was 
soon  disabled  by  the  lion,  who  took  him  by  the  head  and 
neck,  and  dragged  him  about.  Another  dog  was  next  let 
loose,  which  shared  the  same  fate  ;  but  the  third,  on  being 
put  in,  immediately  seized  the  lion  by  the  lip,  and  held  him 
for  a  considerable  time,  till  being  severely  torn  by  his  claws, 
the  dog  was  obliged  to  quit  his  hold  ;  and  the  lion,  greatly  ex- 
hausted by  the  conflict,  refused  to  renew  the  engagement,  but 
taking  a  sudden  leap  over  the  dogs,  fled  into  the  interior  part 
of  his  den.  Two  of  the  dogs  soon  died  of  their  wounds  :  but 
the  third  recovered,  and  was  taken  care  of  by  the  king's  son, 
who  said,  "  He  that  had  fought  with  the  king  of  beasts  should 
never  after  fight  with  any  inferior  creature" — a  far  nobler 
determination  than  that  arrived  at  by  the  usurper,  Henry 
VII.,  as  already  detailed. 

The  English  Mastiff  is  now  very  rare,  even  more  so  than 
that  of  the  Alps.  He  was  in  high  esteem  formerly  as  a 
watch-dog,  but  is  now  generally  superseded  in  that  duty  by 
the  Newfoundland,  who  is  more  than  competent  to  supply  hi* 
place. 


NATURAL   HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG.  113 


CHAPTER  XL 

MONGRELS. 

THE  principal  Mongrels  are : — 

The  Lurcher, 
The  Bandog, 
The  Dropper, 
The  Bull-terrier, 
The  Alicant  Dog, 
The  Shock  Dog, 
The  Artois  Dog, 
The  Griffin  Dog, 
The  Kangaroo  Dog. 

These  Mongrel"  races  may  be  quickly  dispatched.  The 
LURCHER  I  have  already  treated  of  among  the  rough  grey, 
hounds. 

The  BANDOG  is  figured  and  described  by  Bewick.  He 
seems  to  have  been  a  sort  of  light  mastiff,  and  has  all  the  ap- 
pearance of  having  been  a  cross  between  that  dog  and  fox. 
hound.  He  is  now,  I  should  imagine,  quite  extinct. 

THE    DROPPER 

Is  a  cross  between  pointer  and  setter.  He  is  a  most  useful 
dog  in  the  field,  and  in  high  esteem  with  such  sportsmen  as, 
shooting  in  a  wet  country,  like  a  dog  of  all  work.  The 
"  Yorkshire  Dropper"  has  been  long  famous  among  sporting 
dogs. 

THE    BULL-TERRIER. 

A  cross  between  terrier  and  bull-dog,  varying  in  aspect  ac- 
cording to  the  sort  of  terrier  to  which  he  owes  descent :  a 
lively,  courageous  dog,  well  adapted  for  all  kinds  of  mischiev- 
ous sport,  and  affording  fewer  unpleasant  associations  than 
the  bull-dog,  while  he  is  hardier  than  the  terrier. 

THE    ALICANT    DOG 

Is  a  small,  silky-haired  spaniel,  with  a  pug's  head  and  muz. 
zle.  I  have  often  thought  this  dog  is  related  to  our  King 
Charles  and  Blenheim  breeds. 

10* 


14  NATURAL   HISTORY   OF   THE   DOG. 


THE    SHOCK   DOG. 

A  small  poodle,  with  silky  hair  instead  of  wool,  and  the 
short,  turned- up  nose  of  the  pug. 

•  THE    ARTOIS   DOG. 

Between  the  shock  and  the  pug. 

THE    GRIFFIN    DOG. 

Apparently  a  cross  between  the  sheep-dog  and  water-dog. 
With  the  exception  of  the  bull-terrier  and  dropper,  none  of 
these  dogs  are  of  any  use. 

THE  KANGAROO  DOG. 

This  is  a  tall  and  handsome  dog,  bred  between  a  mastiff, 
or  Newfoundland,  and  greyhound,  with  a  dash  of  bull-dog. 
It  usually  reaches  the  height  of  twenty-seven  or  twenty-eight 
inches  at  the  shoulder ;  is  swift,  strong,  and  with  a  fair  ave- 
rage share  of  courage  ;  and  is,  consequently,  about  the  best 
description  of  dog  that  could  be  employed  in  the  chase  of 
kangaroo — a  chase  attended  with  considerable  danger  to  the 
dogs,  as  the  kangaroo  often  rips  up  a  dog  from  jaw  to  belly 
with  a  single  stroke  of  the  hind-foot.  A  mongrel  is  therefore 
the  best  for  such  a  use,  as  it  would  not  answer  to  expose  val- 
uable or  high-bred  dogs  to  so  much  risk.  In  appearance  the 
Kangaroo  dog  is  not  very  unlike  the  tiger-hound  of  South 
America. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

GENERAL    TREATMENT    OF    THE    DOG. 

THOSE  who  desire  to  breed  dogs  of  peculiar  excellence  for 
themselves,  will  be  certain  of  success,  if  they  attend  to  one  or 
two  simple  directions.  Do  not  be  satisfied  with  the  appearance 
alone  of  either  parent.  Ascertain  the  pedigree  as  far  as  possi- 
ble ;  for  it  not  unfrequently  happens  that  a  whelp,  having  all 
the  appearance  of  high  breeding,  will  be  accidentally  produced 
when  one  parent  is  absolutely  of  a  different  breed,  or  haply  a 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE   DOG.  115 

common  cur :  from  such  stock,  however,  it  would  be  unsafe 
to  breed,  as  the  probability  is,  in  such  cases,  in  favor  of  the 
whelps,  more  or  less,  taking  after  the  bad  blood,  or,  as  it  is 
called,  throwing  back.  Ascertain  the  pedigree,  therefore,  for 
at  least  four  generations. 

Let  your  next  consideration  be  the  age  and  health  of  the 
parents.  The  male  should  be,  at  least,  two  years  old,  and 
the  female  at  least  fifteen  months.  The  male  need  not  be 
rejected  as  unfit  until  his  eighth  year,  provided  he  have  worn 
well,  not  been  hardly  used,  and  have  retained  his  health  and 
vigor.  The  female,  under  similar  circumstances,  need  not 
be  rejected  until  her  sixth  year. 

Both  parents  should  be  in  perfect  health.  The  female  goes 
with  young  sixty-three  days;  she  has  from  four  to  thirteen 
young  at  a  birth.  The  whelps  are  born  blind,  and  their  eyes 
open  about  the  eleventh  or  twelfth  day.  The  dam  should  not 
be  permitted  to  breed -oftener  than  three  times  in  two  years, 
"aor  to  rear"  more  than  five  puppies;  and  if  delicate,  she  must 
not  rear  so  many.  If  the  whelps  are  very  valuable,  you  can 
readily  procure  a  foster-nurse,  who  can,  without  difficulty,  bo 
induced  to  adopt  as  many  whelps  as  you  find  it  necessary  to 
remove  from  the  dam.  The  whelps  should  not  be  suckled 
longer  than  six  weeks ;  but  five,  or  even  four,  is  sufficiently 
long,  if  necessity  calls  for  their  removal  so  soon ;  the  only 
difference  being,  that  in  such  case  they  require  more  care  at 
your  hands. 

After  weaning,  the -pups  will  feed  voraciously,  but  should 
.not  be  given  as  much  as  they  will  eat,  or  they  will  surfeit 
themselves*.-  Their  diet  may  consist  of  well-boiled  oatmeal 
porridge,  mashed' potatoes,  with  skim  milk,  or  new  milk,  to 
dilute  the  mess  ;  give  it  cool,  and  do  not  add  the  milk  until  the 
mess  be  cool.  Do  not  make  more  than  will  be  wanted  at  one 
time  ;  give  the  food  fresh  and  fresh,  and  keep  the  vessels  scru- 
pulously clean.  Let  the  whelps  have  a  bed  of  clean  straw  over 
pine  shavings,  or  pine  sawdust ;  the  turpentine  contained  in 
the  wood  will  banish  fleas.  Let  there  be  a  supply  of  fresh 
water  always  within  their  reach,  and  let  them  have  a  free, 
open,  airy  court,  in  which  to  disport  themselves.  A  grass- 
plot  is  a  great  advantage  ;  and  if  you  have  no  such  accommo- 
dation, get  some  nice  fresh  grass  cut  twice  or  thrice  a  week, 
and  lay  it  down  in  your  court.  The  dog  is  the  best  physician 
in  his  own  sickness,  and  will  resort  to  the  grass  with  much 
satisfaction  if  his  stomach  be  out  of  order. 

At  about  four  months  old,  the  first  set  of  teeth,  or  milk 


116  NATURAL    HISTORY    OF   THE   DOG. 

teeth,  begin  to  drop  out,  and  are  replaced  by  the  permanent 
set,  which  change  is  complete  between  the  sixth  and  seventh 
month.  The  tusks  have  acquired  their  full  length  about  the 
twelfth  or  thirteenth  month.  At  about  two  years  old,  a 
yellow  circle  makes  its  appearance  around  the  base  of  the 
tusks,  which  gradually  develops  itself,  with  more  and  more 
intensity,  until  the  third  year.  About  this  time  you  will 
find  the  edges  of  the  front,  or  cutting  teeth,  begin  to  be  worn 
down,  and  the  little  nick  on  the  crown  of  the  lateral  incisors 
to  disappear.  As  the  fourth  year  approaches,  the  tusks  lose 
their  points,  and  the  teeth  present  a  gradual  progress  of  de- 
cay, until  the  fifth  or  sixth  year,  when  the  incisors  begin  to 
fall,  and  the  tusks  become  discolored  over  their  entire  surface. 
The  sixth  or  seventh  year  finds  the  dog  less  lively  than  of 
old ;  he  is  evidently  no  longer  young ;  as  soon  as  his  eighth 
year  has  passed  away,  a  few  gray  hairs  show  themselves 
around  his  eyes,  and  at  the  corners  of  the  mouth.  These 
appearances  increase  in  intensity  to  the  eleventh  or  twelfth 
year,  when  actual  decrepitude  usually  sets  in,  and  increases 
so  rapidly,  that  by  the  fourteenth  year,  if  the  animal  survive 
so  long,  he  is  a  nuisance  to  himself  and  all  with  whom  he 
comes  in  contact ;  sares  break  out  in  different  parts  of  his 
body,  his  whole  carcass  emits  a  fetid  smell,  and  it  is  with 
difficulty  he  can  drag  his  aged  limbs  along:  it  is,  then,  a 
source  of  congratulation  when  death  comes  in,  and  releases 
him  from  his  sufferings. 


DEWCLAWS. 

It  frequently  happens  that  puppies  are  born  with  a  fifth  toe 
upon  the  hind  foot;  this  is  called  a  dewclaw.  It  is  usually 
only  a  false  toe,  possessing  no  connection  with  the  bony  struc- 
ture of  the  limb  ;  but,  in  any  case,  should  be  taken  off.  Mr. 
Youatt  calls  the  practice  an  inhuman  one,  and  seems  to  think 
that  this  claw  is  seldom  any  hinderance  to  the  dog.  I  see  no 
great  inhumanity  in  it ;  for  if  it  be  done  at  the  proper  age — 
viz.,  between  the  third  and  fourth  week — the  operation  is 
scarcely  felt  by  the  pup,  and  the  tongue  of  the  dam  soon  heals 
the  wound.  Let  it  also  be  properly  done,  with  a  pair  of  large, 
sharp  scissors  ;  let  the  pup  be  firmly  held  by  one  person,  while 
a  second  operates,  and  let  the  operator  feel  for  the  proper 
place  to  cut,  and  also  not  be  nervous,  but  do  his  work  with 
decision.  The  dewclaws,  when  left  on,  are  constantly  com- 
ing in  the  way,  getting  entangled  in  grass  or  roots,  and 


NATURAL   HIST.'RY    OF   THE   DOG.  117 

rendering  their  possessor  quite  unfit  to  enter  cover,  and 
ready,  if  he  could  speak,  to  curse  the  maudlin  sentimentality 
«,o  which  he  owed  the  annoyance. 


CROPPING    AND    TAILING. 

Some  persons  like  to  crop  the  ears  of  a  terrier ;  others  like 
them  to  be  left  in  their  natural  condition.  Mr.  Youatt  ob- 
jects to  cropping :  so  do  many.  I  say  nothing  either  for  or 
against ;  but  if  you  be  resolved  on  cropping,  do  it  humanely  ; 
let  three  cuts  suffice.  Draw  the  ears  over  the  head  until  the 
points  meet ;  with  a  very  sharp  pair  of  scissors,  cut  both 
points  off  to  the  length  you  desire ;  then  with  a  single  cut  to 
each,  from  below  upwards,  cut  away  the  hinder  portion  of 
the  flaps  of  the  ears  up  to  the  point. 

In  a  week  the  ears  will  be  well ;  and  I  have  never  known 
deafness  or  any  other  of  the  bad  effects  prognosticated  by  Mr, 
Youatt,  to  result  from  the  operation.  As  I  have  already 
stated,  however,  I  am  not  advocating  the  practice ;  I  merely 
give  instructions  as  to  how  it  should  be  done  in  the  most  mer- 
ciful manner.  The  tail  of  a  well-bred  pup  should  never  be 
meddled  with ;  and  if  the  dog  be  badly  bred,  and  his  tail, 
consequently,  coarse,  he  is  not  worth  keeping. 

In  training  your  dogs,  keep  your  temper  /  never  correct  the 
dog  in  vengeance  for  your  own  irritation  ;  gentleness  does  far 
more  than  violence  will  ever  effect ;  and  a  dog  that  requires 
the  latter  treatment  had  better  be  got  rid  of;  he  will  ever  be 
a  nuisance. 

In  proof  of  my  assertion  I  adduce  the  following  most  inte- 
resting account  of  the  performances  of  two  dogs,  exhibited 
some  time  ago  in  London.  The  account  was  published  in  the 
"Lancet." 

"  Two  fine  dogs,  of  the  Spanish  breed,  were  introduced  by 
M  Leonard,  with  the  customary  French  politesse — the  largest, 
by  the  name  of  M.  Philax  ;  the  other,  as  M.  Brae,  (or  Spot.). 
The  former  had  been  in  training  three — the  latter,  two  years. 
They  were  in  vigorous  health,  and,  having  bowed  very  grace- 
fully,  seated  themselves  on  the  hearth-rug  side  by  side.  M. 
Leonard  then  gave  a  lively  description  of  the  means  he  had 
employed  to  envelope  the  cerebral  system  in  these  animals  ; 
how,  from  having  been  fond  of  the  chase,  and  ambitious  of 
possessing  the  best-trained  dogs,  he  had  employed  the  usual 
course  of  training — how  the  conviction  had  been  impressed  on 
bis  mind,  that  by  gentle  usage,  and  steady  perseverance  in 


119  NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG. 

inducing  the  animal  to  repeat,  again  and  again,  what  was  re- 
quired— not  only  would  the  dog  be  capable  of  performing  that 
specific  act,  but  that  part  of  the  brain,  which  was  brought  in- 
to activity  by  the  mental  effort,  would  become  more  largely 
developed  ;  and  hence  a  permanent  increase  of  mental  power 
be  obtained.  This  reasoning  is  in  accordance  with  trie 
known  laws  of  the  physiology  of  the  nervous  system,  and  is 
fraught  with  the  most  important  results.  We  may  refer  the 
reader  interested  in  the  subject,  to  the  masterly  little  work 
of  Doctor  Verity,  '  Changes  produced  in  the  Nervous  System 
by  Civilization.'  After  this  introduction,  M.  Leonard  spoke 
to  his  dogs  in  French,  in  his  usual  tone,  and  ordered  one  of 
them  to  walk,  the  other  to  lie  down,  to  run,  to  gallop,  halt 
crouch,  &c.,  which  they  performed  as  promptly  and  correct- 
ly as  the  most  docile  children.  Then  he  directed  them  to  go 
through  the  usual  exercises  of  the  manage,  which  they  per- 
formed as  well  as  the  best-trained  ponies  at  Astley's.  He 
next  placed  six  cards  of  different  colors  on  the  floor,  and, 
sitting  with  his  back  to  the  dogs,  directed  one  to  pick  up  the 
blue  card,  and  the  other  the  white,  &c.,  varying  his  orders 
rapidly,  and  speaking  in  such  a  manner,  that  it  was  impossi- 
ble the  dogs  could  have  executed  his  commands  if  they  had 
not  a  perfect  knowledge  of  the  words.  For  instance,  M. 
Leonard  said,  '  Philax,  take  the  red  card,  and  give  it  to  Brae  ; 
and  Brae,  take  the  white  card,  and  give  it  to  Philax/  The 
dogs  instantly  did  this,  and  exchanged  cards  with  each  other. 
He  then  said,  *  Philax,  put  your  card  on  the  green,  and  Brae, 
put  yours  on  the  blue,'  and  this  was  instantly  performed. 
Pieces  of  bread  and  meat  were  placed  on  the  floor,  with 
figured  cards,  and  a  variety  of  directions  were  given  to  the 
dogs,  so  as  to  put  their  intelligence  and  obedience  to  a  severe 
test.  They  brought  the  meat,  bread,  or  cards,  as  command- 
ed, but  did  not  attempt  to  eat  or  to  touch,  unless  ordered. 
Philax  was  then  ordered  to  bring  a  piece  of  meat,  and  give  it 
to  Brae,  and  then  Brae  was  told  to  give  it  back  to  Philax, 
who  was  to  return  it  to  its  place.  Philax  was  next  told  he 
might  bring  a  piece  of  bread,  and  eat  it ;  but,  before  he  had 
time  to  swallow  it,  his  master  forbade  him,  and  directed  him 
to  show  that  he  had  not  disobeyed,  and  the  dog  instantly  pro 
truded  the  crust  between  his  lips. 

"  While  many  of  these  feats  were  being  performed,  M. 
Leonard  snapped  a  whip  violently,  to  prove  that  the  animals 
were  so  completely  under  discipline  that  they  would  not  heed 
any  interruption. 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG.  119 

"  After  many  other  performances,  M.  Leonard  invited  a 
gentleman  to  play  a  game  of  dominoes  with  one  of  them. 
The  younger  and  slighter  dog  then  seated  himself  on  a  chair 
at  the  table,  and  the  writer  and  M.  Leonard  seated  them- 
selves opposite.  Six  dominoes  were  placed  on  their  edges  in 
the  usual  manner  before  the  dog,  and  a  like  number  before 
the  writer.  The  dog  having  a  double  number,  took  one  up 
in  his  mouth,  and  put  it  in  the  middle  of  the  table;  the 
writer  placed  a  corresponding  piece  on  one  side ;  the  dog 
immediately  played  another  correctly ;  and  so  on  until  all 
the  pieces  were  engaged.  Other  six  dominoes  were  then  given 
to  each,  and  the  writer  intentionally  played  a  wrong  number. 
The  dog  looked  surprised,  stared  very  earnestly  at  the  writer, 
growled,  and  finally  barked  angrily.  Finding  that  no  notice 
was  taken  of  his  remonstrances,  he  pushed  away  the  wrong 
domino  with  his  nose,  and  took  up  a  suitable  one  from  his 
own  pieces,  and  placed  it  in  its  stead.  The  writer  then 
played  correctly;  the  dog  followed,  and  won  the  game.  Not 
the  slightest  intimation  could  have  been  given  by  M.  Leonard 
to  the  dog ;  this  mode  of  play  must  have  been  entirely  the 
result  of  his  own  observation  and  judgment.  It  should  be 
added,  that  the  performances  were  strictly  private.  The 
owner  of  the  dogs  was  a  gentleman  of  independent  fortune, 
and  the  instruction  of  his  dogs  had  been  taken  up  merely  as 
a  curious  and  amusing  investigation." 

Some  years  ago,  a  Spaniard,  named  Germondi,  exhibited  a 
company  of  performing  dogs  in  the  different  towns  of  Great 
Britain  and  Ireland.  In  Dublin,  where  he  made  some  stay, 
he  occupied,  with  his  company,  the  large  building  at  the 
corner  of  D'Olier-street,  which  is  now  the  handsome  shop  of 
Messrs.  Kinahan.  The  performances  of  these  dogs  were  ex- 
tremely curious.  They  danced,  waltzed,  and  pirouetted. 
One,  in  the  costume  and  character  of  a  lady,  sat  down  to 
a  spinning-wheel,  which  he  kept  in  motion  for  a  considerable 
time. 

The  company  was  divided  into  two  groups  :  one-half  ap- 
pearing in  dresses  of  a  red  color,  and  the  other  being  attired 
in  blue.  The  blues  occupied  the  model  of  a  fortress,  which 
the  red  troop  attacked,  drawing  up  their  artillery  in  front, 
and  opening  a  heavy  fire  upon  the  enemy,  which  the  blues 
returned  with  their  cannon  from  the  fortress.  The  reds 
were,  however,  at  length  victorious  ;  the  fortress  tottered, 
and  the  reds  dashed  across  the  defences.  Suddenly  the 
blew  up  with  a  tremendous  crash,  and  several  dogs* 


120  NATURAL   HISTORY   OF    THE    DOG. 

on  both  sides,  lay  motionless  as  they  fell,  apparently  severely 
maimed,  if  not  entirely  dead.  When  the  effects  of  the  ex- 
plosion  had  died  away,  the  proprietor  advanced,  and  pulled 
the  performers  about  as  dead  dogs,  to  the  no  small  horror 
and  amazement  of  the  spectators  ;  but  immediately  on  the 
dropping  of  the  curtain,  the  apparently  wounded  or  dead 
dogs  sprang  to  their  feet,  and  resumed  their  proper  places. 

The  next  scene  introduced  one  of  the  dogs  a  captive  be- 
tween two  of  his  comrades,  all  attired  in  military  costume. 
The  captive,  being  condemned  as  a  deserter,  was  sentenced 
to  be  shot,  and  the  sentence  carried  forthwith  into  execution 
by  his  canine  comrades.  On  being  fired  at,  he  fell,  struggled 
convulsively^  for  a  few  seconds,  then  'apparently  died  ;  in 
this  state  he  was  dragged  about  the  stage  ;  his  comrades 
then  placed  him  in  a  barrow,  and  wheeled  him  away.  He 
subsequently  appeared  placed  in  a  bier  drawn  by  dogs,  with 
likewise  a  canine  driver,  who  flourished  a  whip  over  his 
companions,  and  with  a  procession  of  the  whole  company  at- 
tired as  soldiers,  moved  slowly  to  the  solemn  dead  march, 
deposited  their  comrade  in  the  grave,  and  thus  concluded 
their  performance.  These  dogs  were  of  various  descrip- 
tions— pugs,  poodles,  mongrels. 

There  was  an  interlude  of  young  puppies,  who  tumbled 
head  over  heels  in  various  diverting  attitudes,  after  which 
he  introduced  a  fine  specimen  of  bull-dog,  which  the  ex- 
hibiter  called  his  fire-king.  This  dog  was  trained  to  exhibit 
in  the  midst  of  a  brilliant  display  of  fireworks,  and  nothing 
could  exceed  the  courage  he  preserved  when  wholly  sur- 
rounded by  flames,  or  the  resolution  he  manifested  not  to 
quit  his  position  until  the  fire  was  entirely  extinguished. 

I  adduce  these  interesting  accounts,  in  order  to  impress 
upon  my  readers'  mind  the  grand  fact,  that  gentleness,  and 
not  cruelty,  is  the  "  modus  operandi"  likely  to  succeed  with 
an  animal  capable  of  so  much  intellectual  culture  as  is  the 
dog ;  and  I  hope  that  the  above  anecdotes  may  touch  other 
minds  as  deeply  as  they  have  mine,  and  save  many  a  poor 
dog  from  the  ill-usage  to  which  he  might  otherwise  have  been 
subjected. 


NATURAL   HISTORY   OP   THE   DOG. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

DISEASES   OF   THE    DOG. 

THIS  portion  of  my  subject  might  truly  be  made  to  occupy 
treble  the  space  of  the  present  entire  treatise.  Such  an  ex- 
tended  dissertation,  however,  would  not  be  within  the  limits 
of  such  a  work  as  this ;  nor  do  I  think  it  would  prove  very 
useful.  The  less  any  one  quacks  his  dog  the  better.  If  a 
veterinary  surgeon  can  be  called  in,  let  him  prescribe,  and 
do  you  implicitly  follow  his  directions.  It  may  happen  that 
you  are  not  so  circumstanced  as  to  be  able  to  obtain  such 
assistance ;  then  let  nature  work  her  own  will,  and,  in  nine 
cases  out  of  ten,  you  will  find  her  successful.  Still,  how- 
ever, though  nature  does  not  require  absolute  aid  in  her 
operations,  she  requires  the  removal  of  obstacles — of  such 
attendant  circumstances  as  might  interfere  with  her  opera- 
tions. I  shall  not  pretend  to  offer  more  than  a  little  advice 
on  such  subjects  generally ;  and  I  may  here  observe,  that 
when  a  human  surgeon  happens  also  to  be  a  dog-fancier,  you 
will  find  his  opinion  and  advice  far  more  valuable  than  that 
of  half  a  hundred  "quack  pretenders. 

RABIES,    OR    CANINE    MADNESS, 
SOMETIMES   IMPROPERLY   CALLED   HYDROPHOBIA. 

Hydrophobia,  a  term  expressing  fear  of  water,  is,  when 
applied  to  this  malady  as  occurring  in  the  dog,  grossly  in- 
correct, a  dog  laboring  under  rabies  drinking  water  not  only 
willingly,  but  greedily  to  the  very  last. 

I  need  scarcely  say  that  no  curative  treatment  will  avail, 
once  a  dog  has  been  seized  with  this  terrible  disease :  my 
duty,  therefore,  merely  consists  in  describing  the  symptoms 
which  indicate  the  approach  of  danger,  that  the  affected  ani- 
mal may  be  timely  destroyed  ;  and  also  to  point  out  the 
treatment  to  be  pursued  in  the  event  of  a  fellow-creature 
having  been  bitten.  One  of  the  earliest  symptoms  of  rabies 
in  the  dog  is  restlessness.  He  is  constantly  turning  round 
and  round  before  he  will  lie  down  ;  his  countenance  becomes 
anxious ;  his  eyes  bloodshot ;  he  fancies  that  he  sees  objects 
around  him  which  have  no  real  existence,  and  he  snaps  at 

11 


122  NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG. 

the  empty  air ;  his  fondness  for  his  master  increases,  and 
with  it  his  propensity  to  lick  the  hands  and  face — a  filthy 
practice  at  any  time,  and  one  most  dangerous ; — the  appetite 
becomes  depraved,  his  natural  food  is  neglected,  and,  at 
the  same  time,  every  sort  of  filthy  trash  is  greedily  de- 
voured ;  eating  Ms  own  excrement  is  an  early  symptom,  and  so 
sure  a  one,  that  the  moment  a  dog  is  seen  doing  so  he  should 
be  destroyed,  or,  at  all  events,  carefully  confined. 

Rubbing  the  paws  against  the  sides  of  the  mouth.  If  this 
be  done  to  remove  a  bone,  the  mouth  will  remain  open  ;  but 
when  it  takes  place  as  the  precursor  of  rabies,  the  jaws  close 
after  the  rubbing  ceases. 

Soon  follows  an  insatiable  thirst;  so  insatiable  that  the 
poor  animal  often  plunges  his  whole  muzzle  into  the  water ; 
and  here  you  may  observe  spume  left  upon  the  surface. 
Soon  the  dog  falls  or  staggers,  and  sometimes,  but  not  in- 
variably, becomes  delirious.  Death  speedily  ensues. 


DUMB   MADNESS 

Is  chiefly  characterized  by  stupidity,  ana,  at  the  same 
time,  restlessness  of  demeanor ;  the  tongue  becomes  of  a 
dark  color,  and  much  swollen  ;  the  animal  is  also  constantly 
rubbing  its  jaws  with  its  paws,  as  if  seeking  to  remove  a 
bone  from  its  throat ;  and  is  in  general  unable  to  keep  its 
mouth  shut,  or  the  tongue  within  it. 

If  a  person  be  bitten  by  a  dog  supposed  to  be  rabid,  let  the 
bitten  part  be  carefully  excised,  and  liquid  caustic  copiously 
applied  to  the  wound  thus  formed.  Rabies  has  been  known 
to  supervene  after  seven  months  from  the  infliction  of  the 
bite,  having  lain  dormant  in  the  system  during  that  period. 
Although  horror  at  the  sight  of  liquids  is  not  present  in  this 
disease  when  occurring  in  the  dog,  it  is  one  of  its  strongest 
characteristics  when  occurring  in  the  human  subject,  and 
the  disease  is  then,  with  propriety,  termed  HYDROPHOBIA. 

CANKER   IN   THE   EAR 

A  disease  to  which  all  water-dogs  are  very  subject,  proba- 
bly produced  by  a  determination  of  blood  to  the  head,  result- 
ing from  that  part  not  sharing  in  the  general  immersion.  The 
•.reatment  should,  therefore,  commence  with  keeping  the  affect- 
ed dogs  from  water.  The  earliest  symptoms  are,  shaking  the 
head,  holding  it  to  one  side,  and  violent  scratching  of  the  car* 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG.  123 

When  th^se  are  perceived,  the  ears  should  be  well  washed 
with  warm  water  and  soap  ;  and  then  syringed  out  with  a  so- 
lution of  sugar  of  lead,  in  the  proportion  of  about  a  teaspoon- 
ful  of  the  lead  to  one  pint  of  distilled  water.  If  distilled  water 
cannot,  be  procured,  use  rain-water.  Besides  this,  the  washing 
should  be  repeated  twice  or  thrice  daily,  and  the  bowels  of  the 
dog  kept  open  by  a  daily  laxative ;  if  these  remedies  fail,  a 
seton  must  be  run  through  the  back  of  the  neck,  and  strong 
doses  of  aloes  given  every  second  day.  If  you  can,  apply  to 
a  veterinary  surgeon. 


JAUNDICE. 

The  dog  appears  very  subject  to  this  disease.  Its  symptoms 
are  obvious.  The  conjunctiva,  or  "  white  of  the  eye,"  be- 
comes suffused  with  a  yellow  hue,  and  soon  after,  the  same 
hue  spreads  over  all  the  skin  ;  the  nose  and  mouth  are  dry 
and  parched;  the  dog  loses  appetite;  seeks  concealment; 
becomes  weak  and  emaciated  ;  vomits  greenish  matter,  some- 
times tinged  with  blood  ;  loses  consciousness ;  dies. 

Much  depends  on  taking  this  disease  in  time ;  but  it  is  so 
insidious  and  deceptive  in  its  advances,  that  two  or  three  weeks 
often  elapse  before  its  discovery.  In  such  cases  the  animal  is 
lost. 

If  early  perceived,  give  Epsom  salts,  combined  with  muci- 
lage of  gum  arabic,  or  very  well-boiled  gruel.  If  you  think 
the  disease  has  only  just  made  its  appearance,  an  emetic  will 
be  of  great  service,  and  common  salt  will  answer  the  purpose, 
if  nothing  else  is  at  hand.  Small  doses  of  calomel  and  colo- 
cynth,  in  the  form  of  pill,  given  at  night,  and  followed  by  an 
aperient  in  the  morning,  will  generally  prove  successful.  If 
much  fever  be  present,  bleeding  should  be  resorted  to. 

When  appetite  returns,  the  food  should  be  light,  and  given 
in  small  quantities 

WORMS. 

The  dog  is  very  subject  to  the  accumulation  of  worms  in 
.he  intestines.  They  are  of  three  kinds  :  Ascarides,  or  small 
threadlike  worms,  not  more  than  half  an  inch  in  length. 
These  are  chiefly  present  in  the  rectum  ;  and  hence  the  ordi- 
nary symptoms  of  their  presence  is  the  dog  dragging  his  fun. 
dament  along  the  ground.  Puppies  are  very  subject  to  these 
worms. 


124  NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG. 

The  teres,  like  the  earth-worm  in  form  and  appearance, 
but  of  a  white  color.  The  tcenia,  or  tapeworm,  several  inches 
in  length,  and  flat  for  nearly  its  whole  extent.  There  is  also 
another  description  of  worm  that  is,  I  think,  peculiar  to  very 
young  puppies,  and  which  appear  to  be  generated  in  their  in- 
testines in  great  quantities.  This  worm  is  from  two  to  four 
inches  in  length,  of  a  dirty  white  color,  round,  and  pointed  at 
both  extremities.  Sometimes  these  worms  collect  in  balls  or 
masses,  to  the  number  of  a  dozen  or  more  in  each  mass. 
Many  young  puppies  fall  away  in  flesh,  until  they  actually 
reach  the  extreme  of  emaciation  ;  fits  supervene,  and  death 
soon  carries  them  away.  The  deaths  are  attributed  to  dis- 
temper ;  but  worms  are  the  true  cause,  and  these  of  the  de- 
scription I  have  indicated.  I  have  found  the  following  treat- 
ment most  efficacious  ;  and  I  have  had  very  great  experience 
in  rearing  puppies  : — Give,  say  on  Monday,  a  small  pill 
formed  of  Venice  turpentine  and  flour,  from  the  size  of  a  very 
minute  pea  to  that  of  a  small  marble,  according  to  the  size 
and  age  of  the  pup.  The  former  will  suffice  for  Blenheim  or 
King  Charles  pups,  Italian  greyhounds,  &c. ;  the  latter  for 
bloodhounds,  Newfoundlands,  mastiffs,  &c.  On  Tuesday, 
give  a  small  dose  of  castor-oil ;  a  teaspoonful  to  the  smaller, 
a  tablespoonful  to  the  larger  breeds ;  in  neither  case,  howev- 
er, quite  full.  Oa  Wednesday  give  nothing ;  on  Thursday 
give  the  turpentine  as  before ;  on  Friday,  the  oil ;  on  Satur- 
day, nothing  ;  and  so  on. 

Keep  your  puppies'  beds  dry,  clean,  and  sweet.  Do  not 
feed  them  too  often,  or  on  food  of  too  nutritious  a  quality.  Pup- 
pies should  not  be  fed  oftener  than  three  times  a  day.  The 
morning  and  evening  meals  may  be  given  at  9  A.  M.,  and  at 
7  P.  M.,  and  should  consist  of  vegetables — potatoes,  oatmeal, 
&c. — well-boiled,  and  given  with  milk.  At  two,  you  may 
give  meat  with  the  mess,  but  not  too  abundantly.  Between 
the  meals  give  a  drink  of  buttermilk,  or  milk  and  water. 

The  general  symptoms  of  the  presence  of  all  or  any  of  these 
worms,  are,  fetid  breath,  staring  coat,  voracity,  or  total  loss 
of  appetite,  violent  purging,  or  obstinate  constipation,  with 
great  emaciation,  sometimes  fits.  Venice  turpentine  is  a  good 
remedy,  and  is  effective  in  slight  cases.  Aloes  are  useful  for 
dislodging  worms  from  the  reotum,  as  they  pass  down  the  in- 
testines, almost  unchanged  ;  but  powdered  glass  is  the  safest 
end  most  efficacious  ;  give  it  pills  forme%  with  butter  and  gin* 
ger,  and  covered  with  soft  paper. 


NATURAL   HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG.  125 


MANGE 

Is  of  three  kinds — the  common  mange,  red  mange,  and 
scabby  mange. 

Common  mange  is  too  well  known  to  need  description.  It 
readily  yields  to  cleanliness,  with  small  alterative  doses  of 
sulphur  and  nitre  given  daily.  If  neglected,  it  runs  into 
scabby  mange ;  the  skin  breaks  out  into  blotches ;  the  dog 
becomes  emaciated  ;  the  belly  hard  and  swollen  ;  and  death 
will  sooner  or  later  ensue.  Use  aperient  medicine  for  a  day 
or  two  ;  then  for  a  week  give  the  alterative  medicines  above 
mentioned  ;  after  which  have  the  animal  well  washed  with 
soft  soap  and  warm  water ;  then  rub  his  entire  body  with  the 
following : — 

Train  Oil  ...  One  Pint, 

Turpentine  .         .         .  One  Ounce, 

Naphtha  .         .         .  One  Ounce, 

Oil  of  Tar  .         .         .  One  Ounce, 

Soot  .         .         .  One  Ounce, 

and  Sulphur  in  powder  sufficient  to  make  the  stuff  of  a 

proper  consistence. 

This  is  to  remain  on  the  dog  for  three  days,  during  which 
time  he  must  be  kept  dry  and  warm,  and  fed  sparingly  ;  let 
it  be  washed  off  on  the  fourth  day,  with  soft  soap  and  warm 
water,  in  which  some  common  washing-soda  has  been  dis- 
solved ;  give  clean  straw,  plenty  of  exercise,  and  cooling  diet, 
and  the  dog  will  speedily  get  well. 

This  mode  of  treatment  will  apply  to  red,  mange  also ;  but 
in  its  case,  a  little  mercurial  ointment  may  be  added  to  the 
above  preparation. 

Puppies  are  very  liable  to  display  a  mangy-looking  coat,  at 
the  age  of  from  two  to  four  months.  The  hair  falls  off  in 
spots,  and  the  skin  becomes  itchy,  dry,  and  scaly.  This  is 
not  genuine  mange  ;  but  if  neglected  is  apt  to  run  into  it. 
At  this  early  stage  it  is  easily  cured,  by  washing  with  soft 
soap  and  water,  and  change  of  bedding  ;  giving  also  a  little 
sulphur  in  the  food  daily,  and  in  very  minute  quantities. 
This  appears  to  me  to  be  only  an  effort  of  nature  to  throw  off 
the  old  or  puppy  coat  of  hair,  and  assume  the  new  one. 

Change  of  feeding  is  serviceable  in  the  treatment  of  mange ; 
but  it  is  a  mistake  to  suppose  that  this  must  always  be  to  a  re- 
duced regimen.  In  many  cases,  mange  is  only  the  offspring 

11* 


126  NATURAL   HISTORY    OF    THE    DOG. 

of  filth  and  hunger  ;  and  in  these  cases  the  change  must  be 
to  clean  bedding  and  generous  diet.     The  change  of  food, 
however,  should  not  be  sudden,  otherwise  not  only  may  the 
existing  disorder  be  aggravated,  but  other  and  less  managea 
ble  affections  may  be  superinduced. 

DISTEMPER. 

The  most  fatal  disorder,  next  to  rabies,  to  which  the  canine 
race  is  liable.  Nearly  every  dog  is  certain  to  have  it  at  some 
period  of  his  existence  ;  but  in  general  it  makes  its  appear- 
ance during  the  first  year.  If  an  old  dog  get  this  disease, 
you  need  not  hope  to  save  him. 

Distemper  is  strongly  marked  in  its  symptoms,  though  they 
are  not  invariably  of  the  same  character.  They  are  usually 
loss  of  appetite,  dulness,  fever,  weakness  of  the  eyes,  a  dis- 
charge from  the  nose,  a  short  husky  cough,  discharge  from 
both  eyes  and  nose,  a  peculiar  and  fetid  smell,  emaciation, 
sometimes  Jits,  and  when  they  appear,  I  should  prognosticate 
a  fatal  termination  to  the  complaint.  Dogs  in  a  fit  are  some- 
times mistaken  for  mad  :  let  it  be  understood,  then,  fits  are 
never  present  in  rabies. 

The  distemper  is  a  disease  of  the  mucous  surfaces,  and  usu- 
ally commences  in  nasal  catarrh.  If  the  disease  be  detected 
in  the  first  stage,  bleeding  will  be  most  useful,  and  that  pretty 
copious :  give  an  emetic,  and  follow  it  up  by  a  gentle  purga- 
tive ;  if — as  is  generally  the  case  when  the  above  treatment 
does  not  effect  a  cure — inflammation  of  the  lungs  supervenes, 
you  must  take  more  blood,  give  more  aperient  medicine,  with 
occasional  emetics..  If  the  animal  become  weak,  and  is  ap- 
parently sinking,  give  mild  tonics,  as  gentian,  quinine  ;  and 
if  he  will  not  eat,  put  some  strong  beefyelly  down  his  throat. 
A  seton  in  the  back  of  the  neck  is  often  useful,  but  should 
not  be  used  indiscriminately.  If  possible,  consult  a  veteri- 
nary surgeon,  and  place  your  dog  in  his  hands. 

The  more  generous  the  breed,  the  more  liable  is  the  dog  to 
have  distemper,  and  to  sink  under  it.  Cur-dogs  of  low  de- 
gree hardly  know  what  it  is.  The  hardy  shepherd's  dog  of 
Scotland,  if  he  have  it  at  all,  gets  over  it  u&aided,  in  a  day 
or  two. 

DIARRHCEA. 

Wait  for  a  day  or  two,  to  ascertain  if  ihe  discharge  will 
cure  itself;  if  it  continue,  give  castor-oil,  with  a  few  drops 
of  laudanum. 


NATURAL   HISTORY   OF   THE   DOG.  127 


COSTIVENESS. 

Change  the  diet ;  give  gruel  and  slops ;  and  let  the  dog 
have  full  liberty ;  boiled  liver  will  be  found  useful.  If  these 
measures  fail,  give  small  doses  of  castor  oil. 

I  have  not  gone  into  the  subject  of  canine  diseases  at  any 
great  length  ;  for  I  hold  all  quackery  in  great  abhorrence. 
The  less  a  dog  is  drugged  the  better  ;  and  he  will  never  be 
unwell  if  allowed  sufficient  exercise,  and  be  judiciously  fed. 
When  illness  presents  itself,  if  you  can  procure  advice,  do  so 
at  once ;  if  you  cannot,  use  some  simple  remedy.  If  you 
must  yourself  bleed  your  dog,  tie  a  ligature  round  his  neck, 
and  the  vein  will  rise.  Bleed  the  dog  standing  on  his  feet; 
when  he  droops  his  head,  or  appears  weak,  cut  the  cord ; 
the  bleeding  will  stop  of  itself  without  the  aid  of  a  pin. 

Warts  may  be  removed  by  the  aid  of  caustic,  and  some- 
times a  ligature. 

I  do  not  think  that  I  have  now  left  any  necessary  or  useful 
information  undetailed.  I  have  been  induced  to  present  this 
book  to  the  reader,  by  the  conviction  that  no  work  on  dogs 
that  has  yet  appeared,  has  emanated  from  the  pen  of  a  dog- 
fancier,  and  that  no  other  person  is  capable  of  satisfactorily 
handling  the  subject.  Whether  or  not  I  have  succeeded  in 
doing  so,  will  speedily  appear  from  the  reception  my  work 
will  meet  with  from  the  best  of  all  judges — the  public. 


TH*  END. 


GARDENING  FOR  PROFIT, 

In  the  Market  and  Family  Grarden 
BY  PETER  HEXDERSOX. 


This  is  the  first  work  on  Market  Gardening  ever  published  in  this 
country.  Its  author  is  well  known  as  a  market  gardener  of  twenty 
years'  successful  experience.  In  this  work  he  has  recorded  this 
experience,  and  given,  without  reservation,  the  methods  necessary 
to  the  profitable  culture  of  the  commercial  or 


It  is  a  work  for  which  there  has  long  been  a  demand,  and  one 
which  will  commend  itself,  not  only  to  those  who  grow  vegetables 
for  sale,  but  to  the  cultivator  of  the 

¥AmILY  GARDEN, 

to  whom  it  presents  methods  quite  different  from  the  old  ones  gen- 
erally  practiced.  It  is  an  ORIGINAL  AND  PURELY  AMERICAN  work,  and 
not  made  up,  as  books  on  gardening  too  often  are,  by  quotations 
from  foreign  authors. 

Every  thing  is  made  perfectly  plain,  and  the  subject  treated  in  all 
its  details,  from  the  selection  of  the  soil  to  preparing  the  products 
for  market. 

CONTENTS. 

Men  fitted  for  the  Business  of  Gardening. 

The  Amount  of  Capital  Required,  and 

Working  Force  per  Acre. 

Profits  of  Market  Gardening. 

Location,  Situation,  and  Laying  Out.  » 

Soils,  Drainage,  and  Preparation. 

Manures,  Implements. 

Uses  and  Management  of  Cold  Frames. 

Formation  and  Management  of  Hot-beds* 

Forcing  Pits  or  Green-houses. 

Seeds  and  Seed  Raising. 

How,  When,  and  Where  to  Sow  Seeds. 

Transplanting,  Insects. 

Packing  of  Vegetables  for  Shipping. 

Preservation  of  Vegetables  in  Winter. 

Vegetables,  their  Varieties  and  Cultivation. 

In  the  last  chapter,  the  most  valuable  kinds  are  described,  and 
the  culture  proper  to  each  is  given  in  detail. 

Sent    post-paid,    price  $I.5O. 
ORANGE    JTJDD    &    CO.,    245    Broadway,    New-York. 


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